The Prince
by EmmaFoxglove
Summary: Ganymede, cupbearer of the immortals, recounts the scenarios that led to his new life among the gods. Explicit homoerotic material in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: In ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were considered socially acceptable and even expected, especially those between a grown man and an adolescent male. One of the strongest proponents of this cultural phenominon was the story of Zeus and Ganymede. In this story, Ganymede is still living in a pre-'Abduction of Ganymede' world, making the fictional cultural climate around him less understanding of his orientation than might have been accurate in actual ancient Greece. Also, Ganymede is seventeen in this fanfiction, making him underage in our world, though the ancient Greeks wouldn't have had a problem with it. Still, if that's going to bother you, or if you don't want to read smut, I would suggest clicking out of this and reading one of my other stories._

I felt the cool air rush in around me as the cover pulled back. Gooseflesh rose along my arms and I grumbled, blindly reaching for the missing fabric. The sheets rustled as another body slid into the bed, curling around my exposed back. The blanket was pulled up again, covering us both.

"Mmm?" I asked, my eyelids cracking open. The alarm clock on the windowsill read 3:21 a.m.

"It's just me. Go back to sleep," a voice murmured in my ear.

I sighed, my head too fuzzy to comprehend the words. I closed my eyes again and immediately drifted off.

The next thing I knew it was morning. Brilliant sunlight came in through the window, shining on the cheery yellow walls. It backlit the red geraniums on the windowsill and glinted off the picture frames scattered around the room. The clock read 6:37 a.m.

Zeus had an arm slung across my waist and I could feel his warm breath against the back of my neck. I turned toward him. He was sound asleep, his pale hair tangled around his face and his lips slightly parted, revealing the edge of his teeth. Zeus had pretty teeth, pearly white and perfect. It was an odd thing to admire, but I always had. Barely breathing, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. He made a sound in his sleep, but didn't wake up.

I gently disentangled myself from his arms and slid out of bed before easing my way across the floor. I didn't want to wake him. I wasn't sure what had sent him here like this, stealing into my bed in the middle of the night, but experience suggested that it had something to do with his wife.

I grabbed a towel and some clean boxers and headed for the bathroom. I had a feeling that when Zeus woke up, I'd be in for quite a story. Better get a hot shower in beforehand. I turned the water on full blast and stepped out of my boxers, picking them up with my toes before flipping them into the clothes hamper on the other side of the bathroom. "Ten points," I muttered.

I turned back around and caught sight of myself in the mirror. My dark hair was sticking up at all angles and my eyes were squinty with sleep. I smirked. I wondered what would have happened if Zeus had seen me like this that first day.

Stepping into the hot shower, I pondered that for awhile. What would my life have been like if I'd never met the man in the other room? It was hardly the first time I'd thought about it and I was no closer to the answer now than I'd ever been. No doubt I would have gotten married to some girl, hopefully ending up with a kid or two. Would I have grown to love my wife? Perhaps not as a husband should, but there are other kinds of love. If she'd been a sweet woman, a kind one, then maybe we'd have become friends. Or maybe she'd have been a witch like Hera and I'd have thrown myself off a parapet to be rid of her.

I sighed. What use was it to dwell on the past? Those days were long dead, and if Zeus hadn't done what he had I'd be dead right along with them.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the hot water slosh over my hair. My mind wandered back in time, all those hundreds of years ago.

* * *

The wooden swords collided with a sharp _crack_. "Give in, Ganymede," the other boy jeered, striking out again with his sword.

"Never!" I shouted, laughing. The game continued, the two of us circling each other, our swords connecting again and again. Isandros was good, very good, but I managed to hold my own. The other boys stood around, cheering for one or the other of us. Most of them shouted for me to win, but I knew it was only because I was the prince. If money had been involved, their bets would be on the boy facing me.

Isandros came in toward me, his dark eyes flashing with a wild light. His sword came down hard, smashing into my own with such force that it was knocked out of my hand. I jerked back from him and managed to catch my foot on a rock, stumbling backwards and landing on my rump in the dust. Isandros came and stood over me, his sword at my chest.

"Yield?" he asked.

I glared up at him. "Never. You'll just have to kill me, you Spartan jackass."

He rolled his eyes and flicked away his sword before he leaned down and grabbed my hand. His was warm and steady as he hauled me to my feet. I pulled away as soon as I was upright and went to fetch my sword.

"You put up a good fight," he said from behind me.

I gave him a haughty look. "You're not half bad yourself."

The others laughed, and I laughed with them. We were all up on one the hills above the city. Troy stretched out beneath us and the sea glittered in the distance. There were about ten boys on the hillside, from lowly farm hands to me, the prince. Sheep dotted the stony hills around us. We were supposed to be tending them, but a man could only stare at sheep for so long before he went mad. Sword fights were necessary. Usually we pitted ourselves against each other as Trojans versus warriors from other cities. Isandros favored fighting for Sparta.

With the duel over, the boys scattered across the hills again, back to their sheep. I picked up my staff and started off toward my own herd.

Isandros trotted after me. "You really are getting better, you know," he said, brushing some of the hair out of his eyes. His hair was a curling mess that always seemed to be slipping out of the tie at the back of his neck.

I smiled a little. "Thanks. I'm glad to hear it." Isandros was the son of a Trojan war hero, and I half-believed that he'd been born with a sword in his hand. I, on the other hand, didn't have half of his natural skill or any of his grace. As a warrior I was a bit of a disappointment, but I tried my best and practiced every day. Isandros had volunteered to help me as much as he could, and I was grateful for it.

"Do you want to meet up in the training yard later today?" he asked.

"Sure."

"All right. Well, I guess I'll see you there," he said, and turned on his heel to leave. I watched him go, the bright sunlight casting him in bronze, defining the broad expanse of his shoulders and glinting off his dark hair. I turned away and continued down the path, my mind occupied.

The sheep wandered up and down the hillside, bleating and snuffling at the grass. I gazed at them from my vantage point on top of the hill, my head leaning against my hand. My mind was blank from boredom and my head itched under the hot shepherd's cap. I reached up to scratch beneath it, idly wondering if this was all my life would ever amount to. A shadow passed overhead and flew along the ground. I glanced up and spotted an enormous eagle soaring high above me. He flew over the pasture before slowly circling back around, his wings outstretched as he scanned the ground for field mice and rabbits. He passed directly overhead again, and I looked up at him, my mouth agape. I could see his talon from here, glinting like they were sheathed in copper. The eagle wheeled sharply to the left and began to descend, alighting on a tree stump a few yards away from me. I blinked at him, startled that he'd come so close. The eagle glared back at me, his head cocked to the side. At this distance, I was astounded by how huge he was. The eagle was as tall as a person, his head the size of my own. I chewed my lip, not quite sure what to do. I'd had no idea a bird could get that big. If he attacked me, I didn't like my chances of fighting him off before those talons ripped through my flesh.

"Prince Ganymede!"

I jerked around, startled. I shot a quick glance at the eagle but he hadn't moved.

"Prince Ganymede!"

"I'm over here," I called. The eagle turned his head toward the voice and then took to the air, those powerful wings stirring up the dust and making me sneeze. I watched him go, still astonished by the encounter. A servant came up over the hill, his tunic fluttering as he ran.

"My prince, the king would like to see you at once. I am to watch the sheep."

I was surprised but didn't argue, gladly leaving the flock in the servant' care. I met my father in his solar, talking to his advisor, Perdix. My father smiled at me and reached out his hand. I embraced him.

"Ganymede, Perdix has brought me some very good news and I want you to hear it."

Perdix smiled at me. He was a jovial, pudgy man with empty brown eyes. "Ah, yes, Prince Ganymede. There is a great man in Corinth, Pentares, who has presented his daughter to us in the hopes of a marriage alliance between his house and that of King Tros. Pentares, though not royal, has control over much of the Corinthian navy, and his daughter, Aristomache, is said to be one of the most beautiful girls in Hellas. Isn't that marvelous?"

I looked at him for a few moments before turning back to my father. He smiled at me, though there was a warning in his eyes.

"So I am to marry this Aristomache?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

"Well, it is certainly something to consider," said Perdix. "Though it isn't official yet."

"It would be a good alliance to make," my father told me, holding my gaze. "I want you to think about it."

"But don't think too long," joked Perdix, "Better to get an answer back to Pentares before he changes his mind, no?"

"Thank you for telling us, Perdix," Father said, turning back to the other man. "Now why don't you go and get something to drink? My cellars are at your disposal."

"Thank you, Your Grace," he replied, sweeping a low bow before trotting out of the room.

Father waited until he'd closed the door behind him before speaking. "I know how you must be feeling. I know how I felt when they told me I was to marry a woman I'd never met."

"So I am going to marry her?"

"It would be a good match, Ganymede," he said again. "And you must marry somebody. Why not this girl?"

I stared at the floor, my stomach churning with uncertainty. He was right. I'd always known I was going to marry a girl, most likely one I'd never met. However, knowing and doing were two different things.

"Just think about it, won't you? It'd be for the good of the city." He patted my shoulder and turned back to his work table. "How's the swordplay coming?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Isandros says I'm doing much better."

"Good. I'll have to come watch you today."

I fidgeted with the edge of my tunic, unsure how I felt about that. I might be doing better, but I'd never actually beaten Isandros. I didn't want Father to see me lose.

"You don't have to. I'm sure you're busy."

"I can spare the time," he said, giving me a small smile.

I smiled back.

* * *

"Your father is here," Isandros muttered.

We were standing at the edge of the training yard, practice swords in our hands.

"I know. He said he was going to come watch me." I gave Isandros a frantic look. "Please, don't beat me too badly."

He smiled at me. "I never beat you very badly these days. Like I said, you're getting a lot better at this, Ganymede."

My heart swelled with pride.

We took our stances in the yard. Father was standing at the edge of the ring. My older brothers Ilus and Assaracus were with him. My sudden good mood vanished. It was one thing to lose in front of my father, but my brothers were a different matter entirely. Ilus was the eldest, serious and severe. He was a scholar and skilled tactician. Assaracus was the warrior in the family. I believed Isandros could beat him, but not many others could. He watched me now with a lopsided smirk, just waiting to laugh when I fell in the dust. I groaned under my breath.

"Don't think about them," Isandros whispered. "Focus on me."

I looked across at him, at his narrow face and high cheekbones and dark, dark eyes that watched me beneath his straight brows. I let the rest of the world disappear until it was just me and him and our swords rising to meet each other. _Clack, clack, clack._ We whirled around each other, side stepping and feigning, coming together and splitting apart, our swords dancing. I kept my eyes on him, watching his every move. Finally, he managed to get through my defences and placed his sword against my throat. We both froze, breathing heavily. I dropped my sword to the ground.

"Good show," I heard Father call. Assaracus was laughing. Soon they were all standing next to us.

Assaracus clapped Isandros on the back. "Poor fool never had a chance," he said.

I bristled, but Isandros came to my rescue. "I wouldn't say that, sir. There were a few moments when he had me pretty scared."

"Then you must scare easily. Ganymede swings that thing like he's trying to swat flies with it."

"Assaracus," my father scolded. "That's enough out of you." He turned to Isandros. "Thank you, young man, for helping my son. I know it must take a lot of your time."

Isandros bowed. "It's nothing, Your Grace. I enjoy it." He grinned at me. "Ganymede is my favorite student."

I felt my cheeks grow warm under such praise and turned away before he noticed. When I turned my head, I caught my father looking at me in such a way that made my embarrassment turn to fear. His expression was neutral, but there was something in his eyes that made me want to crawl away from his scrutiny.

"Well, if you don't mind, I need to take your favorite student away from you tonight," he said. "We've got a few things to discuss."

"Of course, Your Grace." Isandros bowed again before picking up my training sword and going back into the barracks.

Father watched him go before turning to my brothers. "You two, go on inside."

Assaracus and Ilus glanced at each other but did as they were told. My heart was thudding in my chest as I watched them leave and I wanted to race after them to get out from under my father's gaze.

"Ganymede," he said.

I glanced up at him. "Yes?"

"Come with me." We walked across the yard, toward the city gates. I followed him up the stone steps to the top of the city wall. Troy's walls had been smaller then, not the colossal things that faced Odysseus and Agamemnon years later. Still, at the time they'd been the tallest structures I'd ever seen. Standing on the top, I could see my entire world, the city and the hill country and the sparkling blue sea the swept out before me in all of its mystery. The sun was setting over the sea now, making it look as if the water itself had caught fire.

Father dismissed the guards standing watch and we looked at the sea together. "You need to make some decisions, Ganymede," he told me, still watching the sea.

I looked down at my hands on the half-wall in front of me and said nothing.

"You are a prince of Troy, my son. And princes don't always get what they want." He looked over at me. "Your brothers have both in the same scrape you are now. Neither was particularly thrilled to marry, but they did because they knew the importance of it. Aristomache is a good match for the people of Troy. I know you don't want to hear that, but you're seventeen years old. It's time to start facing the facts."

I didn't reply.

"I know that you're my third son, and I hope that you'll never have to bear the burden of my crown. But our house still needs to be built. Heirs need to be created so that our line will remain strong. And so that my sons' legacies will continue on." He turned away again, staring out at the sea. "You legacy will not be furthered by Isandros son of Aktor."

I felt my face go red and I prayed that the sunset would mask it. "I don't know what you mean," I said, trying to keep my voice neutral.

"Oh, Ganymede." My father sighed. "You don't have to hide from me. I've known about you for a long time." He reached over and grasped me by the shoulder. "I'm not angry with you. I know that you can't help it. But you have to think about what's best for others, not just your own desires. You can't marry Isandros, nor any other man. You can't father children from such a scheme. I am asking you, for the good of our people and for the good of our family, to set aside your infatuations for now and to move forward with our agreement with Pentares of Corinth."

I couldn't answer at first. A lump had formed in my throat and to my shame I was suddenly on the brink of tears. I considered what he was asking of me and felt like my heart was breaking in two. Put aside my 'infatuations' as he called them? How? If I could so easily cast them aside I already would have. Did he think I wanted to feel like this?

"I don't know how to do that," I croaked. "I can't make my feelings go away, Father. I've tried to do that . . ." I shook my head, unable to finish. How many nights had I laid awake in my bed, wishing that I could be different than I was? That I had been born normal?

"Maybe," he murmured, squeezing my shoulder. "Once you see this girl, it'll be easier for you to—"

I shook my head, cutting him off. "It won't. Father, I—" The words caught in my throat, but I forced them out. "I've never . . . felt that way . . .for any woman. I've tried, but I just can't . . ." I covered my face with my hands, hating myself. Why couldn't I just do what he asked? Why couldn't I make myself desire something that men were supposed to want?

"I want you to try, Ganymede. I know it won't be easy, and I know that you might never feel the way a husband ought to feel about his wife,"

I had to bite back a sob when he said that, my fingers digging into my scalp, punishing me for my wretchedness.

Father continued. "But I think if you give it a chance, you'll be able to find some happiness with your wife. Maybe not the kind of romantic love most young people desire in a partner, but in a marital relationship affection and respect are just as valuable as any of that. I think you could be happy, Ganymede. And, after a few children have been conceived, perhaps you could find . . . other ways to fulfill your needs."

I uncovered my face and looked up at him. He watched me, one eyebrow raised.

"Do you mean," I hesitated, almost afraid to ask. "That you expect me to have homosexual relationships outside of my marriage?"

"Affairs aren't exactly uncommon, Ganymede," he said ruefully. "Between men and women or otherwise. I know a few men who openly tell their wives about their male lovers, though you'd better be pretty sure she'd approve before you tried that." He chuckled, clapping his hand on my shoulder one last time before turning to leave. "I want you to be happy, Ganymede. I know it may not seem like that now, but I really do want you to enjoy your life. But we all must make sacrifices."

I stayed up on the wall after Father had left, my head swirling. I looked out at the sea, wondering if there were any foreign lands where it was acceptable to be like I was. I imagined walking down a public street arm in arm with Isandros, turning to smile up at him the way I'd seen women do to their sweethearts. My heart hurt with longing for such a place, aching all the more from the belief that no such paradise existed. At last I turned away from the sea and began trudging toward home. Now that the sun had sunk below the horizon, the stairs leading down from the wall were cast in shadow and I had to keep my eyes on my feet so I didn't trip and die. That's why I didn't see the girl at the foot of the stairs until I ran right into her.

She was a laundress from the look of it, and I'd smacked into her so hard that she'd dropped the basket full of clothes she was carrying. She let out a little wail and fell to her knees, picking up the scattered clothes off the ground.

"I'm so sorry," I said, sinking to my knees as well and helping her. There must have been a hundred garments in that basket and they'd been flung pell-mell across the paving stones. "I wasn't watching what I was doing. Are you hurt?"

"No, sir," she replied. Her tone was brusque, making it was clear how unhappy she was.

I felt my ears turning hot. "I really am sorry."

We picked up the rest of the clothes in silence. I plucked up the last tunic and brought it over to where she was kneeling beside the basket. I dropped it on top of the pile. She glanced up at me and did a double take, her mouth falling open a little.

"My—my prince," she stuttered, rising to her feet. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you."

I smiled politely. "It's all right. I'm the one who wasn't paying attention." The girl kept watching me, her eyes wide. She had astonishing eyes, such a pale blue that they looked nearly colorless in the dim light. They were appraising me, drifting across my face in a way that I recognized. I was used to women ogling at me, just like I was used to men teasing me about my pretty face. Assaracus always said I looked like a girl. My mother had called me beautiful until I was fourteen when Father had told her to quit embarrassing me.

The girl was beautiful too, even I could see that. She had long dark hair swept into an ornate updo on top of her head. It contrasted dramatically with her light skin and pale blue eyes. She also had a pair of full red lips and the kind of curves that would fill other men's dreams long after they'd seen her. I stared at her, trying to make my body respond. My eyes admired her, but only in the way someone admired an artist's statue. My heart wasn't aroused and neither was anything else.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to move past her.

"Of course, my prince," she murmured, her tone demure. She stepped aside and did something strange with her eyes. She glanced at the ground and then back up at me, her pale eyes shining through a forest of black eyelashes. Her gaze smoldered, and my breathing stuttered to a halt. The world narrowed until all I could see were those blue eyes. Then the girl blinked, and the connection was broken. She giggled and turned away, casting me one last look over her shoulder. "Goodnight," she called, giggling again, her hips swaying as she walked.

I gaped after her, my thoughts sluggish. Sucking in a shaky breath, I looked away, shaking my head a little, trying to get my thoughts to move again. I wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but it had been intense. I'd felt like my entire existence could have been snuffed out by those eyes. Was this what other men felt around women? I glanced back toward the girl, but she was already gone, having vanished as suddenly as she'd appeared.


	2. Chapter 2

I stepped out of the shower and toweled off. A drop of water had gotten down in my ear so I had to stop and tilt my head to the side until it drained before I could move on with my life. Then I brushed my teeth and pulled on my boxers before waltzing out to face the day.

A few years ago I'd decided to move to a new bedroom and had decided to furnish it all on my own without any outside help. My new room was small—this is, comparatively small. There was a platform bed on one side, a dresser and closet on the other, and a small, built-in desk in the far corner with a bar stool in front of it. The closet wasn't a walk-in, I'd gotten the antique dresser and barstool at a garage sale and refurbished them myself, and—horror of horrors—the bed was a queen size. Zeus had nearly gone into conniptions the first time he'd walked in.

"Are you dumping me?" he'd demanded.

"What? No."

"Then why does it feel like you're trying to squeeze me out of your life?" He'd walked around the room, stretching out his arms like he was measuring the space. "Seven steps. It takes seven steps to get from one end to the other."

I'd rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. There's two of us. This place is plenty big enough."

He'd whirled on me, his eyes suddenly bright. "I know what this is," He'd accused, pointing his finger at me. "You've become one of those weird minimalists!"

That had made me laugh. "You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It's _sad_. Look at this place. It's tiny. You're the cupbearer to the King of Heaven. You deserve better than a broom closet."

"But this is what I want," I'd replied. "I like it how it is. Bedrooms aren't supposed to be the cathedrals of your life, Zeus. They're supposed to be your quiet monastery, a place of peace and mediation." I'd read that in a book once.

"So you've decided to become a monk now?" he'd grumbled.

I'd smiled and strolled over to him before wrapping my arms around his waist. "Not exactly," I'd purred, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.

Zeus had gotten over it eventually, and though I'd never convinced him to take up the lifestyle himself, he had admitted to me once that my 'little' bed was cozier than the one in his room.

He was still there when I came out of the bathroom, his long limbs sprawled across the mattress like some giant starfish.

I chuckled as I grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt out of my closet and pulled them on before going over to my desk. I switched on my laptop and listened as it hummed to life, swinging my bare feet as I waited for it to warm up. I glanced over at Zeus, my memories sweeping up around me again.

* * *

The next morning, right after breakfast, I went to find my father. "I want you to go ahead with the marriage negotiations," I told him.

He nodded and wrote something down on a scrap of parchment.

I had to go out with the sheep after that. Life as a prince of Troy isn't always as grand as it sounds, and life as the third prince is even duller. I went and sat down under a tree, my face leaning against my palm, my jaw slack with boredom.

There was a rustling in the branches above me. I glanced up and nearly had a stroke when I saw a giant bird perched on a branch right above my head. I stared up at it for a long moment, my heart pounding. It the eagle from yesterday, and he was watching me just like he'd done then, his head turned so that he could see me with one of those big yellow eyes. I sat there, too terrified to move. It was one thing to see the monster eagle from a distance, but this close I could make out each individual feather and count its giant claws, each one longer than my hand. Holding my breath, I eased away from the tree, trying not to startle it. The eagle watched me go, never taking its eye off me. We stared each other down until I was out from under the tree and the leaves obscured my view. There was a loud _whooshing_ noise, and the eagle flew off, soaring above my head until it disappeared into the distance. I watched it go, praying that it wouldn't come back.

Not much else happened that afternoon. I stayed away from any trees, and the eagle never came close to me again, though I did see him swooping by every now and then. Finally, I headed back to Troy, shooing my flock in front of me. I left them in their fold in the care of a servant and then walked into the city, pulling off my shepherd cap as I went.

People looked at me as I walked down the main road, many bowing as I passed by. I smiled at them even as I hurried to get away. I could feel their eyes on me, boring into my skin like invisible awls, gnawing away at my flesh. Mother had always said that they stared because I was beautiful, but I didn't feel beautiful when they watched me. I felt like a beetle trapped in the bottom of a bowl, scrabbling uselessly for a way out as little boys jeered at me from above.

The day was ending and the streets were crowded with people trying to get out of the city before the gates closed for the night. Every once in awhile I'd feel someone rub up against me. I ignored this as well as I could, but sometimes I couldn't help but cringe as I felt a hand brush along my arm in a very non-accidental way. I'd always look around, but with this press of people it was usually impossible to tell who'd done it.

Up ahead, I saw a familiar figure walking toward me, a basket of clothes under her arm. It was the blue-eyed laundress from the night before. She caught my eye and brazenly held my gaze as she drew closer. Just like before, my breath caught in my throat and I couldn't look away. Her lips turned up at the corners. At that moment the crowd around me compressed as a large cart rumbled down the street, people pushed to the sides of the road as it passed by. The girl met me then and turned sideways to squeeze between me and another traveler, her breasts pressing against my upper arm and her free hand snagging my belt, tugging on it a little. I shot her an astonished look, ready to tell her off, but in that instant I met her gaze again and lost all power of speech.

"Pardon me, my prince," she whispered between barely moving lips, her blue eyes dancing. And then she was gone, swallowed up in the crowd like she'd never existed. I scanned the street for her, searching for her dark head bobbing through the mass of people. I never regained sight of her and eventually gave up, turning back toward home.

I practiced my swordplay with Isandros once I got back, but I was so distracted that I could barely focus.

"What's up with you?" he wondered after I'd lost my third match in ten minutes.

I shrugged. "Just not into it today, I guess," I muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"Is this about your father?" he asked.

I glanced over at him. "What?"

"You looked pretty nervous when he wanted to talk to you yesterday."

I shuffled my feet, my cheeks blazing. If only Isandros knew the subject of our conversation he might not be so quick to pry. I decided to give him an answer, though not an entirely truthful one. "I'm getting married."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? To whom?"

I shrugged. "Some girl from Corinth. I've never met her."

"Oh."

I looked over at him, desperately wanting to know what he was thinking. Was he jealous? Did he not want me to get married? Or did he just not care enough to say anything else?

"Um, how do you feel about that?" he asked eventually.

I shrugged again. "It's a good match."

He snorted. "Glad my parents haven't found any 'good matches' for me yet. Sounds pretty awful."

I smiled a little. "It does, doesn't it?"

We were quiet for several moments, neither of us knowing what to say.

"Well," he said at last, clapping his hands together. "You don't have to practice more if you don't feel like it. Why don't you take the rest of the night off?"

I think he expected me to be excited, but the words made me feel hollow inside. I didn't want to leave him, not when I only had so much time before I wed. I argued with myself that now was the time to start the separation, making it gradual so that I wouldn't feel so much pain once I had to give him up for good. My heart rebelled against the notion. I never wanted to say goodbye to Isandros. "We don't have to," I replied. "I can keep going."

He gave me a little smile. "As much as I'd like to, I think we should take a break. Go get a good night's sleep."

I had to relent. We went into the armor room and put up our practice swords.

Isandros playfully punched my arm. "See you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He shot me one last grin and headed off toward his home. I stood in the doorway of the armor room, unsure what to do. I wanted to go after Isandros, grab him by the back of his tunic and beg him to run away with me. We'd go find that mythical land where men could be together openly, not just in the shadows and behind closed doors. I wanted to be with Isandros, forever, not just as some love affair after I'd begotten a son or two.

I leaned against the door frame and rubbed my chest, feeling my heart break inside me.

There was a rustle of fabric next to me. I flinched and glanced to my left, only to come face to face with the blue-eyed girl. I swore and took a step away from her. How had she managed to sneak up without me seeing her?

The girl smiled at me. "Did I scare you?"

"What are you doing here?"

She pouted. "You don't want me here?" She took a step toward me and lowered her voice. "It looked like you did, when you were searching for me in the market earlier."

"I didn't—"

"Shhh," she place two fingers on my lips and looked up at me beneath half-lowered eyelids. "You don't have to apologize. I looked for you as well." She grinned. "Only my search was more successful."

"You shouldn't be here," I told her, glancing around. No one else was nearby, but I didn't want to risk being seen with her. It was obvious that she was some kind of harlot.

"Do you want to send me away? Why? Don't you think I'm pretty?" she tipped her head to the side, like she was genuinely curious. "I want you to think I'm pretty. Would you rather I have fair hair?"

She wasn't making any sense. "Your hair is fine," I said.

She smiled again. "Good. I was hoping you'd like it." Suddenly, she put her hand on my chest and pushed me back into the armor room, grabbing the front of my tunic when I almost fell backwards. She was strong for a girl. Laundry must be hard work.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"What would you like me to do?"

"What? Get away from me!"

"Why?" she asked, completely unperturbed by my tone. She leaned even closer to me, her hands winding up into my hair, bringing my face close to hers, her soft breasts pressed against my chest. I couldn't help but look into her eyes again, and all my thoughts vanished. "I've seen your sad eyes, Ganymede," she said, her breath fanning across my face. Her voice was like a silk rope, slithering around my mind and tying me fast. "Don't you want me to make you feel better? I can make you feel _so good._ " Without another word, she kissed me full on the mouth. I froze, feeling her lips move against mine. I watched her, my eyes wide open. I'd never been kissed before and it was strange to have someone's face that close to my own. I noticed how long her nose was and the tiny flecks of black khole smattered across her cheek, like she'd rubbed her eye. Once her eyes weren't boring into mine, my brain was able to function again, and after another moment I disentangled myself from the kiss. She blinked up at me, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" I demanded. "I don't even _know_ you. And I'd like you to leave."

She stared up at me, her mouth hanging open and her eyes blinking she hadn't understood me. "You want me to leave?" she asked, her brow creasing in confusion.

"Yes," I said, exasperated.

Her bottom lip began to tremble and to my utter amazement, her eyes began to sparkle with unshed tears. "So, you really don't want me?"

Swallowing hard, I shook my head. "I'm sorry."

"But, _why_? Why don't you want me? You said I was pretty!"

I could only gape at her helplessly, completely unsure what to do. "Please don't cry," I said.

She stomped her foot. "Why shouldn't I cry? You keep watching me and keep smiling at me and you say that I'm pretty and then you do this!"

"I do think you're pretty," I said. "Really. It's just that, well, I'm not looking for anyone to, um, make me _feel good_ right now."

She huffed and looked up at me again, her blue eyes blazing. "Why not?" She narrowed her eyes. "Is there somebody else? There's somebody else, isn't there?"

" _No,"_ I said, wondering how in the world I'd gotten into this mess.

The girl didn't say anything for a few moments, the heat fading from those hypnotic eyes. She considered me. "Do you not want me to touch you because you don't want me? Or is it because you're afraid?" She came toward me again, her eyes beginning to smolder. I looked away before they could ensnare me again. I felt her touch my chest with her finger, trailing it up to the collar of my tunic. She rubbed the edge of the material between her fingers. I snatched her hand in my own, trying to push her away. "Have you ever been touched, Ganymede?"

I glared at the far wall, refusing to meet her gaze. "I want you to leave," I growled.

"I'd be gentle with you," she whispered. "I'd be good to you, my prince."

"Get out."

"Please," she pleaded. "Please, don't send me away. I've dreamed of you, Ganymede, I've dreamed of you every night since I first saw you. You fill my head every moment of the day and chase me though my sleep. I can't think about anything but you. Let me touch you. Let me make you feel like a man."

I closed my eyes. Who was this woman? How had I allowed this to happen? "I can't." I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I have to go." I let go of her hand and walked past her. She didn't try to stop me. I paused in the doorway and glanced back at her. She was still turned away from me, her eyes on the floor.

I told myself to leave, to run away from this crazy girl and never look back. But something about her expression made that impossible. Inexplicably, I almost felt sorry for her. I cleared my throat.

She looked up at me, her extraordinary eyes suddenly dull.

"By the way," I said, giving her a tiny smile. "I never asked you what your name was."

She blinked at me a couple of times, and I wondered if she was going to answer. "It's Olympia," she said eventually.

I nodded once and hurried away.

* * *

My dreams were a mess that night.

They started out fine. I was walking through a beautiful forest, my hand in Isandros' as he led me to our paradise.

"We're nearly there, Ganymede," he said, looking at me over his shoulder. His eyes were dark and warm and his hair was slipping out of its tie again. I wanted to reach forward to push it back into place, but he was walking too fast and it was all I could do to keep up. I heard the roar of a waterfall up ahead.

"I love you," I told him, wondering where I got the courage.

He smiled at me, showing off his dimples.

My stomach fluttered when I thought about our destination. A romantic pool at the foot of a waterfall? My mind wandered to places it shouldn't. We'd be all alone there. All alone, no other person around for miles. I grinned, warmth spreading across my cheekbones.

There were just a few more trees up ahead. The path led around them, the sun shining through the leaves.

And then everything changed. The trees fell away, and stone walls rose up around me. Isandros changed into my brother Ilus, and the roar of the waterfall became the sound of a large crowd of people, their voices echoing around the chamber. My father stood at the far end of the hall with another man, both of them looking at me with eyes of ice. A slender figure stood beside them, draped in a gauzy veil. I tugged against Ilus' restraining hand.

"No," I begged. "No, please, don't make me. I don't want to marry her! I don't want to marry her!"

"Shut up," Ilus snapped, not looking at me. A shadow fell across us and I looked up to see the golden eagle swoop through the rafters, alighting right above my father, his yellow eye watching me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, fighting against my brother. "Please, let me go. Isandros! Isandros, help!" I looked around the room, but Isandros was nowhere to be seen. We came to the front of the room and Ilus held me still as my father blessed the marriage.

"May you have many children," he said, his deep voice booming throughout the hall. "And may this young woman tame my son's deviant heart."

"Aristomache," said the other man, presumably Pentares, her father. "Take off your veil. Let Ganymede see you."

I struggled against Ilus, sobbing to be let go. "I can't marry her, I can't. Father, please—"

The girl pulled her gauzy veil aside, revealing her face. Pale blue eyes scorched my skin, drawing me into a whirlwind of color and sound. I screamed, flailing, falling through space and time, sure that I was about to be smashed to splinters.

Then I was lying on the ground, soft grass cushioning my fall. The roar of a waterfall filled my ears, along with the gentle lap of water on stone and the rustle of wind through the trees.

"Isandros?"

"My prince," he whispered in my ear.

I grinned and rolled over to look at him, only to jerk back when I came face to face with a stranger. He was young, around my own age, with inky black curls and almost-colorless blue eyes. With a start, I realized that he looked just like Olympia. His pretty lips curled up in a smile and he crawled toward me on hands and knees, his eyes holding me in place. He rose over me where I lay sprawled on my back, his hands on either side of my head.

"I've dreamed of you, Ganymede," he whispered. They were Olympia's words, spoken in Isandros' voice. The stranger leaned down and kissed me, just like Olympia had. Only it was nothing like when she'd kissed me. Fire roared through my veins and I lost my mind. The strange boy's hand cradled the back of my head and I leaned up into the kiss, my eyes slipping closed. My hands crept around his back and I pulled him down onto me. He groaned and bucked his hips against me, grinding against my pelvis. I gasped, tilting my head back and feeling his lips descend down my throat.

"Isandros," I whimpered.

"No," said the stranger with Isandros' voice. "Don't say his name. You're with me now."

I looked up at him, melting beneath his gaze. "Who are you, then?"

But before he could answer, the dream melted away, the paradise shattering into a million silver stars. I opened my eyes, waking alone in my own bed. I pushed myself upright, feeling more confused than I ever had. I was also aroused, my cock stiff beneath the sheets. I ran a hand back through my hair, my face growing warm with the memory of the dream, even as my mouth twisted in chagrin. The boy in the dream hadn't been Isandros. He wasn't the man I loved. He hadn't even been _real_ , just some male equivalent of my would-be seductress. And yet, when I'd woken, my first thought hadn't been shame over my dream-adultery. It had been disappointment that I hadn't gotten to learn the stranger's name.

"Dammit," I said, collapsing back against the pillows. My cock was lifting up the sheet, creating a tent. I glared at it, knowing I'd never be able to sleep if I didn't take care of it. I slid my hand beneath the sheet and closed my eyes, deliberately thinking about Isandros. I imagined his face hovering above me, his lips parted and brown eyes full of lust. Those were his fingers gripping me, his hand pumping up and down, sending shivers of pleasure across my entire body.

I let my imagination roam wild, thinking about the other things we'd be doing to each other if the first part of the dream had been real. I imagined the way his curly, brown hair would wave back and forth as he ground his erection against mine, our breathing coming in frantic gasps. Then he'd flip me over onto my stomach. In my fantasies, it was always Isandros who did the penetrating. Perhaps it wasn't very masculine of me, but I'd always wanted to be on the bottom half of my first sexual encounter, with Isandros—the stronger one, the braver one, the more _manly_ one—entering me. I really didn't have much to offer anyone, but people said I was beautiful. I would be try to look beautiful for my love as he took me. I imagined what Isandros' face would look like once he was fully inside of me. His head would be thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth open in a silent cry of pleasure.

I groaned just thinking about it, my hand moving faster beneath the sheet. In my mind's eye, he began thrusting in time with my real-life hand movements. I was sure that I'd never want him to move that fast in actuality, but in my fantasies he rode me ragged, pumping into me for all he was worth. As I rose closer to my peak, my thoughts became frantic and my control slipped. Without me being able to stop it, the boy in my delusion changed. His skin lightened, his hands gripping my hips, holding me steady as he fucked me. Isandros' brown curls darkened to black and his face became radiant, his eyes otherworldly.

I pressed my free hand against my mouth to keep from crying out. The strange boy whispered to me again, using Isandros' voice. "I've dreamed of you, Ganymede," he said, looking down at Fantasy Me with those haunting eyes. "I've dreamed of you every night since I first saw you. You fill my head every moment of the day and chase me though my sleep." He tightened his grip on my hips and pulled me back against him as he lunged forward. Fantasy Me squealed and Real Me moaned against my fist. "I can't think about anything but you." He slammed into me again. "Let me touch you." Slam. I was so close to my climax that I started trembling. "Let me make you feel like a man," he growled, shoving himself into me one last time. In real life, I twisted into my pillow, pressing my face into it as I shouted, my body spasming as I released.

I collapsed against the bed, my ears ringing and my face still buried in the pillow. It was several moments before I could move. When I finally did, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, waiting for my breathing to slow. I contemplated what had just happened. Isandros was the love of my life, yet he'd not been the one I'd screamed for. I'd shouted for the stranger. Embarrassment swept over me, almost powerful enough to eradicate my euphoria.

Almost.


	3. Chapter 3

The phone vibrated on the table. I glanced over and saw a text message on the homescreen. It was from Hebe and read _Hey, is Dad with you?_

 _Yeah_ I texted back.

 _K. Does he want anything?_

I glanced over at Zeus before replying. _I got it handled._

 _K._

I regarded the text mournfully, restraining myself from calling her up and giving her my "K" rant. I didn't care how dismal society became, "K" was not and would never be an acceptable response.

I tapped back to my messaging homescreen and pulled up Hermes' number. _Hey,_ I typed. _Connect Coffee House. One 16 oz. black, one 16 oz caramel hazelnut iced latte with whip topping._

I put the phone down and turned back to my computer. A blank, white screen gazed back, the little black cursor winking at me. I placed my hands on the keyboard, ready to type, when my phone buzzed. Glancing over at it, I saw his response.

 _I'm not your errand boy._

I rolled my eyes. _Your dad says don't forget the whip_ I lied, flipping the phone over so that I couldn't see the screen and looked back at my computer. I was starting a new novel and wasn't quite sure how to begin.

* * *

It was days before I could look Isandros in the eye. The dream lingered in my thoughts, the memories leaking into my bloodstream and becoming a part of me. I forced myself not to think about what had happened, either the dream or the orgasm, but it was impossible not to. I began making excuses not to see him, as foolish as that was, in order to avoid the awkward silences that had started sprouting up between us. I tried telling myself that it was just a stupid dream. I hadn't actually done anything wrong. But I couldn't seem to convince myself.

I'd seen Olympia once since the bizarre interview in the armory. She'd been across the street from me, carrying her load of laundry. I'd caught her staring, and she'd immediately dropped her gaze and turned another way. Seeing her only made me think of the dream boy and something stirred in my gut, both painful and tantalizing.

Father had sent a letter to Pentares of Corinth, relating my eagerness to move forward with negotiations. We expected my bride to set sail for Troy within a month.

The pasture was the only place I could find any peace. Up there there was nothing but the wind and the smell of sheep and the sea. I'd walked across the Trojan countryside, allowing my mind to empty itself of all its convoluted cares. Every once in awhile I'd search the sky for any sign of the giant eagle, but I never saw him. Clouds would sail across the heavens like ships on the sea, and fluttering birds darted past like schools of fish, but the eagle, the king of the sky, never revealed himself to me.

I'd begun staying out in the hills later than usual, coming back after dusk, trying to avoid people as much as I could. Isandros would wait for me in the training yard. He never mentioned my strange new moodiness, but I could read the concern behind his eyes. Finally, after the fourth day, he cornered me outside the door of my house.

"Have I done something to upset you?" he asked.

I blinked in astonishment. "No, of course not."

"Then why do you keep treating me like I slapped your grandmother?"

I chuckled. "I'm sorry. Really. It's not anything you've done, it's just . . ." I trailed off, unsure what to even say. Honestly, not even I knew what was wrong. I just felt . . . empty inside. Like my heart had shriveled up to try and escape the pain of my circumstances. I looked at Isandros, my insides melting at the concern in his eyes. It made me happy. It made me very, very sad.

He tilted his head to the side, his curls falling over his forehead. "This is about your engagement, isn't it? You haven't been acting right since that night."

I nodded. That was part of it, but not nearly enough. "I don't love her," I muttered, feeling embarrassed to say it out loud. It sounded so childish. "I don't even _know_ her. What if we end up hating each other?"

He stepped toward me and put his hand on my arm. My entire world shrank to the warmth and weight of it resting there. "You won't," he told me. "No one could ever hate you, Ganymede. You're too good."

I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze.

He smiled at me, his eyes tender. "She'll be a lucky woman."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure. Even if she does learn to like me, what if I can't do the same to her?" I paused, weighing my next words. "What if I fall in love with somebody else?"

He frowned at me. " _Are_ you in love with somebody? Is that the real reason for all this? Some girl's gone and caught your eye?" He grinned.

I glanced away from him, blushing. "No," I muttered.

He laughed. "Poor Ganymede. Love is a fickle bitch, isn't it?"

"Yes," I whispered.

He patted my shoulder, and suddenly it didn't feel quite so good. "You'll make it through. Just give the girl a chance. And if she doesn't turn out to be everything you've wanted, well," he winked at me. "Who says you need to spend every night in her bed, huh?" He patted my arm again and headed off in the opposite direction, leaving me staring after him

The next day when I took the flock out, I headed in a different direction than I normally did. I went north, keeping the sea to my left and the wild hill country to my right. The hills were steeper here, and less vegetation grew. There was enough for my herd though, so I didn't worry too much about it. I led them far out into the wild, the city vanishing behind us. After a couple hours the landscape had changed dramatically. Lush pastureland spread out around me in a long plateau. At the furthest edge, the earth dropped away, leaving a sheer cliff-face, the surf pounding against the thin stretch of beach a hundred feet below. I picked my way to the edge of the cliff, feeling the sea breeze ruffle my hair and tug at my clothes. I tilted my head back and breathed in the briney air, letting it wash over me and blow away my heartache.

A shrill cry caught my attention. Opening my eyes, I saw the golden eagle wheeling above me, his beak and claws glinting in the bright light. He flew out over the sea and dove, his wings curling in around his body until the instant before he hit the water. His wings unfurled and he skimmed over the surface of the waves, catching a large fish in his talons. I watched as the eagle labored to keep the squirming fish aloft, but after a few moments he let go, the fish living to see another day. The bird swooped upwards again, his sharp eyes searching for another catch. I stood watching him for quite some time, envying him his freedom. Occasionally he'd let out a shriek of exultation, whirling and diving without a care in the world. At last he must have grown tired of all his failed fishing attempts and went in search of less slippery prey, flying up into the clouds until I lost sight of him. I returned my gaze to the sea. I wondered if my betrothed had heard the news yet. Would she weep when she found out she was being shipped off to a city she'd never seen? Or would she rejoice to be getting a husband before she became an old maid? One of these days I'd get the chance to ask her.

Something hit me on the back of the head. I cried out, more from surprise than pain. The blow had pushed me to my knees and I whirled about, searching for my attacker. Another scream filled the air. I looked up. There was the eagle, flying away from me, something red in his claws. I gaped, and reached up to my head. Sure enough, my shepherd's cap was gone. The bastard had snuck up behind me and snatched it away.

I watched him go, expecting to see him drop the cap into the ocean. He wheeled in the opposite direction though, and flew a few more seconds before releasing the cap, probably realizing that it wasn't food. I huffed and ran over to get it, being sure to keep the eagle in sight in case he swept around again and tried to take my head off this time. The bird flew off in the distance and disappeared behind some trees.

I reached the area where I'd seen it fall, but still had to search around through the underbrush before I spotted it. It was snagged on a thornbush a ways away. I pried it out of the thorns, sticking myself a couple times in the process.

"What happened?" someone asked from right behind me.

I started so violently that I dropped the cap again. I turned to see Olympia standing there, her hands tucked behind her back as she regarded me. "What in the—where did you come from?" I sputtered.

She raised an eyebrow at my tone. "I've been here the whole time," she replied. "I was walking along the beach and saw you standing at the edge of the cliff. I came up to make sure you weren't thinking about jumping." It was difficult to argue with her assurity, but I hadn't seen her down on the beach. I told her as much.

Olympia frowned. "You must be blind then." She changed the subject before I could reply, pointing at the cap in my hands. "Why do you wear that thing?"

"It's a shepherd's cap," I muttered, putting it back on my head. "I'm a shepherd."

"I thought you were the prince?"

"Yes, well, I'm the _third_ prince, which means I get to watch the sheep." I turned and walked away from her, back toward my vantage point over the sea. I was hoping she'd leave, but I doubted it. Sure enough, I heard her following after me, her bare feet whispering over the grass.

"Do you like watching the sheep?"

I laughed a little. "Nobody likes watching sheep. Sheep are the stupidest animals alive. And the dullest."

"I don't know, it seems like it might be fun." We'd come to the edge of the cliff again. I looked down at the crashing waves beneath me, watching the foam collect at the edge of the sea.

"It's not," I told her. "But sometimes it is nice to get away from the city."

She made a sound of agreement. I could feel her eyes on me but I kept my attention on the sea. I was a little nervous, being out here all by myself with this girl. She didn't really look like a harlot, but I remembered all too clearly the feel of her lips as she'd kissed me.

"Why are you out here?" I asked.

I saw her shrug in my periphery. "I like being alone sometimes. And the sea is beautiful."

I glanced over at her. She was looking out at the sea now, her eyes squinting against the afternoon sunlight. I turned to do the same. "I'd love to see more of it," I said.

"Where all have you been? What cities have you gone to?"

I shook my head. "I've never been away from Troy."

She seemed surprised. "Never?"

"Nope."

She appraised me. "How old are you, Ganymede?"

"Seventeen."

"So young," she murmured.

I looked over at her. "You're not exactly ancient yourself," I pointed out.

She grinned. "Where would you go, then, if you ever left Troy?"

I considered it. "Somewhere far away," I said. "Somewhere nobody's here's ever even heard of."

"What would you do there?"

I smiled a little sadly, thinking of my paradise. "I'd live."

Olympia studied me, seeming to hear the edge in my voice. "You aren't living here?"

"Not really."

We were quiet for a bit, neither of us seeming to know what to say. "I'd like to see Paphos," she said at last.

"The birthplace of Aphrodite," I said. "That doesn't really surprise me."

"Why?"

"You seem like the kind of person who'd spends a lot of time making herself beautiful."

She scoffed, but didn't try to argue. "Not all of us wake up looking as perfect as you do."

"Nobody wakes up looking perfect."

"Of course not," she said sarcastically.

We lapsed into silence again. The wind was blowing a little harder now. It pulled some of her dark hair out of its braid, and blew it around her face. I tried to keep my eyes to myself so that I didn't give her any of the wrong ideas, but it was difficult not to look at her. I kept thinking about the boy in my dreams. He might have been her brother, they looked so alike. I sighed. If only Olympia had been born a boy. I shook off the thought, ashamed of myself. I loved Isandros. It was wrong to fantasize about another man, even one that didn't exist.

She was watching me again, her eyes as blue as the sky and sea before us. "Why was your cap in the briar bush?" she asked suddenly.

"An eagle stole it."

She raised an eyebrow.

"It did," I huffed. "Right before you showed up. The thing flew right over my head, yanked it off and dropped it in the thorn bush."

She smirked. "Maybe he thought you looked better without it."

I rolled my eyes.

"What? You think eagles don't know what's fashionable?"

"I think you're reading too much into this."

"Ha!" she lunged toward me and plucked the cap off my head before darting away.

"Hey!"

She dangled the cap in front of me, grinning like a lunatic. "See, you look much nicer without it. Let the world see your pretty hair."

I tried to grab it back but she danced out of the way, laughing.

"Give it back!"

"You want it?" she asked, "Come get it." And she took off running, her skirt flying out behind her. I raced after her, surprised by her speed. Her laughter peeled across the pasture, and to my surprise I found myself laughing along with her.

"Give it back!" I called.

"Never!"

I was gaining on her. Her skirts were beginning to slow her down and she was laughing so hard that she couldn't focus on running. Right as I was about to close my hand around her arm, she dashed to the side and I stumbled, my hands clutching at the air.

"Missed me!"

I turned to see where she'd gone. She was standing at the edge of the woods, waving my cap in her hand.

"All right, give it back," I called, reaching out my hand.

"Huh-uh."

"Olympia," I said, using my best prince-voice. "Give me back my cap."

She stuck out of her tongue and vanished into the forest.

I shook my head in amazement. She really was mad.

I jogged into the forest, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust to the dim light. "Olympia?" There was a giggle from above. I looked up. She was perched on a limb high above my head, swinging her leg over the side. "How did you get up there so fast?" I asked.

She just smirked at me.

"Why don't you come down?" I said. "I don't want to climb up there after you."

"Then I guess you don't want your hat back."

I shrugged. "It's not like I can't get a new one, you know."

She shrugged as well but tossed me the cap. "Fine, if it means that much to you. But I don't want you to put it on. You're hair's too pretty to be covered up.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever makes you happy, I guess." I bent down to retrieve it. There was a rustle of fabric and before I could stop her, Olympia jumped down and landed right in front of me.

"Are you crazy?" I demanded. The limb she'd been sitting on was more than halfway up the tree. She could have easily broken her legs.

She brushed her hands together, completely unconcerned. "Calm down, Ganymede everything's—get down!"

Olympia's hand slammed into my shoulder, knocking me down. I landed on my stomach in the dust, my face full of prickling grass. There was a brilliant light above my head and an inhuman shriek that made my blood freeze in my veins. I looked over and couldn't believe my eyes. There, at the edge of the clearing, was a snake's head as big around as a bull with steam curling out of it's maw. It was so massive that the head was all I could see, the rest of it's body hidden by the undergrowth.

Olympia stood in front of me protectively, facing the creature. The snake reared up its head and opened its mouth, it's gullet glowing red as an ember and getting brighter by the second. Before I could stop her, Olympia ran toward it and leapt into the air. The snake unleashed a volley of fire, instantly incinerating her. I saw her body dissolve in midair, ashes blasting back from her glowing bones. I pushed myself to my knees and screamed her name, knowing it was too late.

Then I realized what I was seeing. The glowing figure that I'd thought was Olympia's ignited skeleton was actually a man. He landed in front of the snake, his skin brilliant as molten gold, his hair shining white like hot iron. He stretched out his arms before bringing his hands together with a _boom_ that shook the earth, blew back the trees and made my hair stand on end. A twisted bolt of lightning arched out of his fingertips, blasting the creature to cinders and bone. The snake screamed and jerked as it was obliterated. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The snake was dead, nothing but smoking remains. The man slowly lowered his hands, balling them into fists at his sides. He stood with his back to me, the fiery glow fading from his skin until it was no more brilliant than my own. His clothes—Olympia's dress—had burned away, just like Olympia herself.

I sat there, staring at him in horror, my mind refusing to believe what my eyes had just witnessed.

"Are you all right, Ganymede?" he asked. His voice was deeper than my own and smooth as honey.

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

The man glanced over his shoulder at me, allowing me to see his face for the first time. I felt a pang in my chest. He was beautiful, his long, straight nose and sharp cheekbones softened by long waves of silvery blond hair and lips shaped like a bow. His jaw was covered by a beard the same silver-blond color as his hair. He contemplated me a little sadly, eyes as pale as the noon-day horizon. "Ganymede?"

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish. "What happened to her?" I finally asked, not sure what else to do.

He made an amused sound, though he was still watching me warily. "Olympia? She was just a glamour. The lizard burned the magic away."

I nodded, trying to get a grip. "So, she never really existed then. All right." I eyed him, doing my best to keep my eyes from wandering any lower than his face. "So if Olympia was a glamour, as you call it, then who are you?"

"Can't you guess?"

"You're Zeus?"

He smiled. "I knew you were smart."

"Not very." I rose to my feet and glanced away from him. "Can I go home now?"

"Of course, if you want to."

I turned away and walked out of the woods, my limbs stiff as an automaton's, my mind a jumble of incoherent words and images. I could feel his eyes on me, but I was too afraid to look back. Too afraid of my own emotions to let him see my face. I half expected him to follow me, but he didn't. I gathered up my flock and took them back to Troy, shooting nervous glances over my shoulder the whole trip back.

It was too early to put to sheep back in their fold, but I found one of the servants to take over for me. It might have been irresponsible of me, but I had too much on my mind to bother with such things. I trudged through the byways of Troy, trying to come to terms with this new development. In the light of this new information, I reviewed my short acquaintance with the strange girl Olympia, a young woman who had shown up unexpectedly one day and forced her way into my life. Now I knew that the girl hadn't been a girl at all, but the king of the gods disguised as a woman. I recalled the unprecedented power of her eyes, the way they sucked me into her world and made me forget to breathe. I blushed furiously when I recalled how she'd pushed me up against the back wall of the armory, her hands in my hair and her tongue trying to tease it's way past my lips. That had been a _Zeus'_ tongue, a man's tongue and a man's lips and a man's body pressed up against mine. It was mortifying. It was arousing.

I halted in the middle of an empty street and covered my face with my hands, cringing as I remembered my actions. I'd been rude to Zeus. I'd pushed Zeus away. I'd chased Zeus through a meadow at the edge of the sea like he was an ordinary human being. I groaned, trying to escape the memory. What had he thought of me up there on the cliff, droning on about sailing away from Troy like some stupid actor in a melodrama?

And why had he disguised himself as a woman? Why had he tricked me? I chewed my lip, refusing to believe that it had been in pursuit of _me._ Why would the king of the gods try to seduce me, a mortal, a _boy_ , when he could have anybody he chose? It must have been some sort of mischievous joke. Maybe he'd figured out my secret and wanted to poke fun at me. Maybe the gods had made a wager to see if the homosexual prince of Troy could be convinced to bed a woman. I shook my head, so humiliated by the thought that I began to cry, tears trickling down between my fingers, adding to my shame. I couldn't make the tears stop so I ran and hid behind a rubbish heap where nobody could see me. I sank down behind the heap and curled my arms around my knees and cried, feeling more miserable than I ever had. I was so stupid and wretched that even the gods had begun to make sport of me. In that moment I truly began to hate myself, and I hated myself even more when I remembered how Zeus had looked after killing that serpent. He'd been the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, far lovelier than the Olympia glamour. If that person had pressed me up against a wall, I would have given him anything he wanted. I was sure he'd seen my admiration. I could only wonder if he'd gone home and told the other gods about it yet. That possibility made me cry even harder.

I stayed there for too long, sobbing like a little boy. At last I managed to compose myself enough to head for home. I hurried back to my father's house, keeping out of sight as much as possible. When I did meet people I was careful to look away from them so that they wouldn't see my bloodshot eyes. I was almost there when I rounded a corner and nearly smacked into Isandros. He grinned at me for a moment before he noticed. I tried to turn away but I knew that he'd seen.

"Ganymede?"

"Please excuse me," I muttered, trying to move past him.

"Ganymede, wait, what's the matter?"

I kept walking, but he reached out and caught me by the elbow. I stopped. I couldn't deny him anything.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said, keeping my face turned away from him.

"Did someone hurt you?"

I looked back at him. His gaze was earnest, a dangerous glint in his eye. He's ready to defend me, I realized with a start. Warmth spread through my chest. I gave him a small smile. "No. I'm fine. Really." And in that moment I was.

He shook his head, not believing me. "Tell me who did it."

I considered. Should I tell him what had happened? Would he even believe me? I wasn't sure whether I believed it myself. "Honestly?" I said at last, "I did it to myself."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"No, it's true," I said. "I was stupid. I pretty much walked right into it."

"Ganymede, what are you talking—"

"Do you know what I am?" I asked suddenly, before I could change my mind.

"What?"

"Do you know what I am?"

"You're . . . the prince."

I took a step closer to him, my heart teetering between joy and terror. Even the gods knew about me. If the gods knew, surely everybody else did too. Maybe I'd been wrong all along. Maybe I'd been the blind one. Maybe this boy was just as good a liar as me. "I like boys," I whispered. "I like men the way other men like women."

Whatever he'd been expecting me to say, it certainly hadn't been that. Isandros blinked at me, seeming uncertain what to do. "Um, all right," he said.

I scrutinized his expression, not knowing if he'd fully understood what I'd been trying to tell him. My sudden bout of courage was quickly slipping away, and I wanted to run and hide from him. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself onward. "What I meant to say, Isandros, is that I . . . I like _you_ the way other men like women."

Isandros dropped his eyes from my face, staring at the ground. "I see."

My heart plummeted. I sucked in a ragged breath, my eyes filling with tears again. "I'm sorry," I blubbered. "I'm so sorry, Isandros." I fled from him, turning away from my home, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but here. He didn't try to stop me.

I ran outside the city walls, out into the wilderness beyond. I ran until my lungs felt like they would burst and then I stumbled to a walk, only to run again as soon I had energy enough. My feet carried me up hills and led me me down nearly unseen forest paths. I didn't care where I went, I just couldn't be in that city anymore. I couldn't be near anybody who'd recognize me. I felt like such a fool. What had I been thinking, telling Isandros that? Had I gone mad? But even so, now I knew. There could be no more hope for us. He didn't love me back.

I sobbed as I ran. This pain hurt a thousand times worse the Zeus' games. This was the kind of pain that drove men to fall on their swords to end it all. I kept running until the sun began to set and I was miles away from home. The hills became steeper and more rugged, but I kept on going, trying to outrun my fortune. At last I came to the top of a mountain, my legs trembling from exhaustion and my mouth parched. I sank down onto the ground and looked over the world. I could see Troy in the far distance, a city of pale white stone shining like a beacon in the fading light. The sea was beyond it, a thin blue haze at the edge of the world. Dusk was descending over the east and the west burned with orange flame as the sun sank over the horizon. I looked up at the sky, watching as the stars began twinkling into existence, wondering if I'd ever be able to get far enough away from this place.

I heard a rustling sound from nearby. I glanced down the hill, half expecting to see a bear lumbering up the slope. A figure was striding toward me, his pale hair catching the last few rays of sun. I made a face and slunk back away from the edge, hoping he wouldn't see me.

"I know you're there," he called.

I sighed and didn't respond. I didn't know how much more I could handle today. I'd expected him to keep walking up the same path I'd taken, the one that wound up the side of the mountain, but then I heard a _whooshing_ sound and suddenly Zeus was standing in front of me. He gazed down at me, his face serious.

"It took me a while to find you," he said.

I didn't reply. He was wearing clothes now, a deep green chiton with silver colored himation draped across his shoulders. His hair was woven into a braid with a few wisps coming loose and framing his face. A golden circlet rested on his forehead.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I needed to get away."

He studied me, noticing my red, swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. I glared back at him, wanting him to see what he'd done. Wanting him to know what he'd put me through.

"Oh, my little prince," he murmured.

I drew in a ragged breath. "What do you want?" I asked, shocked that I had the courage to confront him.

"What I've always wanted," he replied, walking toward me. He knelt in front of me and looked me full in the face, those piercing blue eyes unraveling my soul. He reached out and brushed his knuckles down the side of my cheek. My skin burned where he touched me.

"I don't want you here," I said, trying to ignore my body's reaction to him.

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

I glared at him, wondering what kind of game he was playing now. "Why did you?"

His lips tilted up in a shy smile. "I figured you'd want a girl more than a man."

My cheeks blazed. "I don't believe you," I whispered.

He narrowed his eyes. "No? Why not?"

"Because there's no reason for you to want me that way! You're the king of the gods. You're married to the most beautiful goddess in the world. You could bed anyone you want, any time you want. Why would somebody like that be interested in somebody like me?"

He appraised me, his head tilted to the side. "What do you mean, somebody like you? Haven't you ever looked in the mirror? Do you know who you are? You're a prince, Ganymede. And you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen." He caught my hand in his and pulled it toward him, playing with my fingers as he spoke. "I told you before, you remember? I haven't been able to sleep since I saw you, that day out in the field. I had to find out who that beautiful boy was, sitting out there watching the sheep. I disguised myself as a laundress and searched through the town, hoping to find you." He glanced up at me from beneath his lashes, just like he had that first night I'd met him, disguised as Olympia. His eyes froze me in place, reducing my thoughts to a crawl.

"Wait," I said,trying to regain my power of speech. "When did you see me with the sheep?" The only time I'd seen Olympia out in the pasture was earlier that afternoon.

Zeus grinned. "How much do you know about me, Ganymede?"

I thought about it as he continued to fiddle with my hand. He linked his fingers between mine, gently pressed his thumb into the center of my palm, massaging it. He studied my fingernails, running the pad of his thumb across their edges. It was very distracting. "Why are you doing that?" I asked.

He shrugged. "You interest me. I want to know all of your secrets."

My heart sped but I kept my voice neutral. "And are my fingernails revealing anything to you?" I asked drily.

"Mmm, a great many things actually." He glanced up at me. "But you didn't answer my question."

"I don't know. I know all the basic things about you. The things the priest taught me."

"Like what?" He only sounded half interested, his focus still on my hand in his lap. His left hand was skimming further up my arm, brushing over the blue veins in my wrist.

"Um, like that you're the king of the gods."

"The priest really knows his stuff, doesn't he?" Zeus said. He was gently squeezing his hand around my arm then pulling it away, watching the white imprint fade as the blood rushed up under the skin.

"I know you are the god of the sky and that you bring thunderstorms."

"Very insightful."

I blushed. "All right, I know that you have five siblings, who I won't name, and I know you've fathered dozens of other gods and heroes who I also won't name. You have a temple at Knossos, married your older sister, and apparently have a strange fetish with hands."

He turned to look at me. Without breaking eye contact, he brought my hand up to his face and sucked one of my fingers into his mouth. I gasped, instinctively trying to pull back. He tightened his grip around my wrist, not letting me go anywhere. He sucked my finger deeper into his mouth until the entire thing was inside. Zeus swirled his tongue around it, making me gasp again. It felt strange and disgusting and good.

He pulled back, releasing my finger with a _plop_ sound. "For your information," he said, as if nothing had happened. "I married _two_ of my older sisters. And two aunts. And one childhood friend."

I was still reeling from the finger sucking. "What else do you want me to tell you about yourself?"

He grinned at my reaction and sucked another finger into his mouth. It wasn't as shocking this time, but seemed even more erotic. I could only stare helplessly as he did it, his eyes never leaving mine. "What is my emblem?" he said, once he'd released me.

"Uh," I was having difficulty thinking. Zeus was kissing me, pressing his lips into the palm of my hand and moving downward, his lips barely brushing against the skin of my arm. It made my hair stand on end.

"Ganymede? What is it?" he whispered, pausing to nibble at the sensitive skin near my inner elbow.

"It's, it's an eagle, isn't it?" I answered. He was so close to me now, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

"Mmm," he hummed into my skin. "That's how I saw you."

"What?" He'd reached the top of my shoulder. I could feel his beard brush over my skin, his lips ghosting over my collarbone.

"The first time I saw you. I was an eagle." He began kissing my neck and I forgot my own name.

"Oh," I whispered. I'd been answering him, but he took it as an invitation. He pushed me back, laying me down against the sandy ground. He hovered over me, doubling his efforts. He kissed me, hard, one hand on the side of my head, the other drifting down over my body before sliding up my inner thigh.

I froze, pulling back from the kiss. This was too fast, we were going way too fast. He looked down at me, his pale eyes clouded with lust. It made my heart skip a beat and also made me afraid. He was a god. I couldn't say no to a god. "Please," I pleaded. "Please, stop."

Zeus blinked at me, his face expressionless. For a moment I wasn't sure if he was going to listen to me. Then he rolled off and allowed me to sit up.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, straightening my clothes.

He was looking away from me. I bit my lip, afraid that I'd made him angry. Finally I heard him exhale loudly through his nose. He turned to face me, his expression apologetic. "No. Forgive me. I got carried away."

I blushed and looked down. "It's all right."

He reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his knuckles. "You were crying when I first arrived. Why?"

I turned my head away from him, ashamed of myself. Every time I was near Zeus, I seemed to forget that the rest of the world existed. Now my memories came flooding back. Isandros' rejection, Zeus' 'torment'. After what had just happened, I wasn't sure about the second one now, but the disappointment I felt about the other was still raw.

I felt his fingers grip the edge of my chin and turn me back to face him. Those extraordinary eyes lifted the secrets out of me. "He doesn't love me," I told him. "Isandros doesn't love me. He never did."

"And you loved him?" he asked, his eyes softening.

I nodded, swallowing hard. Would he be angry about that?

"This Isandros is a fool, then." Zeus said, his hand keeping my face from turning away again. "I'd give anything to be able to have your affection."

I blushed crimson. "You don't mean that."

"I do."

I looked up at him, my eyes wandering over his lovely face. "You know, you don't look like I always imagined you would."

He smirked. "Disappointed?"

"Not at all," I smiled. "I always thought you'd look like an old man."

"Well, I look older than you do." It was true. Zeus looked like a man grown, not a boy like Isandros. It was a different, exciting kind of beauty.

"I don't mind," I said.

We looked at each other for another long moment, neither of us speaking. The breeze blew my hair into my eyes and he reached up to smooth it back.

"You said earlier today that you wanted to get away from Troy," he said. "Is that still true?"

I nodded. "Now more than ever." I cringed to think about going back to the city and meeting Isandros.

"What would you say about coming home with me?"

"Home? You mean, to Mount Olympus?"

He smiled, "Would you like that?"

I couldn't believe my good luck. Then I realized something and my elation fell.

Zeus noticed. "What is it?"

"How long would I be staying there? Only, only for a little while, right? Then I'll be sent back?"

"Did I say that?" He leaned forward a caught me in a kiss. Every thought I had fled, my entire world condensing to feeling his mouth on mine. After a moment he pulled away and laughed at my expression. "You liked that, did you?" he asked, running his thumb across my bottom lip. "I liked it, too. No, when I asked you to come with me, I wasn't talking about just for tonight, I was talking about the foreseeable future. I want you to live with me."

I bit my lip, unsure how I felt. I barely knew this man. I was attracted to him, but I didn't love him. Was I about to make the biggest mistake of my life? And yet, what was left for me in Troy? A future wife I couldn't love? Secret flings with young men behind her back? Seeing Isandros' face every day, knowing that I'd destroyed our friendship? I met Zeus' gaze, saw those crystal eyes looking back at me, and I suddenly knew what I was going to do.

"Take me away."


	4. Chapter 4

There was a rap at the door. I slid off the bar stool and went to answer it, hoping it was Zeus' son with our coffee and not Zeus' wife with a baseball bat. Hate for it to be a repeat of last time.

I opened the door a crack, waiting a moment to peek around it just in case Hera tried to do anything.

"Delivery for one boytoy and his sugardaddy," a surly voice called from outside the door.

I opened it further and took the coffee from Hermes, thanking him.

"What, no tip?" he sneered.

I smiled at him. "Oh, sorry, almost forgot." I rummaged through my pocket, pretending to look for something. "Here you go." I pulled my hand out, flipped him my middle finger and closed the door before he could react.

"Coffee?" Zeus called from the bed, cracking one eye open.

I smirked. "Yup. Got your favorite." I placed it on the desk and hopped back up onto the stool. I was halfway through the first page of my story and didn't want to lose my momentum.

I heard him slide out of the bed and walk over, yawning. He picked up his sugar-loaded, poor-excuse-for-coffee and started sipping, his eyes on the screen. I squirmed to have it under his scrutiny, repressing the urge to cover the screen with my hands. It was the rough draft, nowhere near presentable.

"What'cha writin'?" he asked. "Smut?"

"Sorry, no."

"You should write some smut."

I snorted. "Yes, really put my abilities to the test."

"Hey," he said. "Smut writers are talented too. They're just misunderstood."

"Okay, Your Grace." I clicked out of the tab, knowing I'd never be able to come up with anything while he was standing there. I glanced up at him, seeing him watching me back, sucking up his iced latte through the straw. "So," I said. "Should I be expecting the Queen of Heaven to come knocking?"

He made a face. "Not this time," he muttered. "Well, hopefully not anyway." He swirled the straw around in his drink, shifting the ice cubes.

"Zeus, what happened?" I recognized the vulnerable look in his eyes. It was one he only wore when we were alone.

He glanced up at me through his eyelashes, making my head spin just like it always had. He put his drink down and took a step toward me, the space between us vanishing. He took my face in his hands and kissed me, desperation marked in every movement.

I knew this routine, knew it like the back of my hand. I kissed him back, my arms going around his middle, trying to comfort him as best as I could. He clung to me, kissing me like it was the only thing keeping him alive. It hurt me to see him like this.

"Do you want to go to the bed?" I whispered in a brief moment when my lips were free.

"Yes."

* * *

The eagle soared high above the earth. I clung to Zeus, my arms wrapped around his neck, the cold wind blowing back my hair. The tops of my arms and legs were cold, but every part of me that was pressed against the eagle's back was warm, half buried in his soft feathers. My shepherd's cap had blown off a while ago and when I'd mentioned it, the eagle had screamed in glee.

The earth spread out beneath us like an over-sized map. At first I'd been afraid to look down, my face pressed into Zeus' neck, but once I realized that I wasn't about to die, I dared peek out at the world. My fear fell away, replaced by such joy I could barely stand it. Half the world was green and the other half blue. Zeus flew along the coast line, allowing me to see both sides. Trees and houses and people looked like ants from this height. I saw men and women walking around doing their evening chores, not noticing the giant eagle with the boy on his back. I laughed, my heart too full of happiness to contain it. Zeus glanced back at me, his eagle face unreadable.

"It's so beautiful," I shouted to him over the wind.

His only response was a sudden swoop downward that made my stomach fly into my mouth. I clutched his neck so tightly I probably choked him. He spread his wings out again and flew higher, screeching when he saw my expression. I glared at him, suspicious that he was laughing.

Troy flew by beneath us faster than I would have thought possible. I couldn't recognize any of the people from this height, but I was pretty sure a couple of them were pointing up at the eagle. I waved at them, giggling like a madman. Then the city was gone, vanishing behind us like it had never even existed. We passed over other cities and towns and great fleets of ships. I wondered if Aristomache was on any of them. I felt sorry for her. Once she reached Troy there would be no prince for her to marry.

The last of the sunlight bled out of the sky. I thought Zeus would have to stop for the night, but the eagle kept on. Soon it was too dark to see anything below me, but the stars were out. I snuggled down into his feathers and turned my head to the side. I watched the eagle's wing flap up and down, making the stars vanish and reappear with every stroke.

I woke up in a bed that was not my own. I blinked a couple times, trying to figure out where I was. I remembered the eagle and the stars, but everything after that was nothing but shadows and incomplete thoughts. The room I was in was splendid. It was bright and airy, with gauze curtains strung between the pillars. I heard birds and the sound of rushing water.

Something brushed down my arm, making me jump. I twisted around to see Zeus lying behind me, an arm pillowed under his head. "'Morning, beautiful," he said.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and looked around the room. The bed sat on a raised platform, the bedposts made of ivory. It was the biggest bed I'd ever seen, and by far the softest. The room had no walls, just pale marble pillars on all sides with sheer gossamer sheets hanging between them. The floors were light-colored wood with colorful rugs scattered across it. The place was filled with priceless objects, ornate couches and beautiful carved tables. A harp sat in one corner and a table full of scrolls in another. I stepped out of the bed, glancing down at myself in surprise. I was only wearing my perizoma, the white undergarment still wrapped securely around my middle. I glanced over my shoulder as Zeus.

"Where are my clothes?"

He nodded toward the corner of the room. "I put them over there. Didn't figure you wanted to sleep in them."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't worry, I just undressed you." He smirked. "I want you awake when I start doing other things. And I left this on," He reached over and caught the bottom edge of my perizoma, rubbing it between his fingers before I scooted away. He sighed. "I really should be rewarded for such restraint."

I laughed and moved away, walking across the room. I'd never seen anything so lavish. The furniture was all ivory and gold, the carpets crimson and woven into fantastic patterns. The ceiling was painted to look like a landscape as seen from a great height, just like I'd witnessed last night from the eagle's back. The sound of rushing water permeated the room as a waterfall cascaded off one side of the roof, creating a translucent wall—the only wall in the room. I could feel Zeus' eyes on me as I walked around, but I didn't look at him. I was strangely shy this morning. Zeus had always been a little other-worldly, even in his Olympia disguise, but after riding through the sky on the back of an eagle and waking up here, on the mountain of the gods, I felt more than a little trepidation. I didn't know how to behave around somebody like him.

"Ganymede," he called from behind me. "Come here."

I had to obey, though I still couldn't look directly at him. He patted the coverlet beside him. I climbed up into the bed.

"You have a beautiful home, sir." I said, fixing my eyes on the coverlet.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He caught my chin in his hand and made me look up at him. "Are you unhappy?"

"No!" I blushed, hating myself for making him think I was ungrateful. "No, it's not that at all, it's just . . . it's just a lot to take in. Really."

He looked unconvinced. His hand moved from my chin to cup the side of my face, his fingers winding into my hair. "I want you to be happy here," he said.

I smiled a little. "I am. Thank you, for what you did. Your Grace."

He noticed how I tacked on the title. "You've never called me that before."

I blushed again. "I should have. I haven't been very respectful to you. I'm sorry."

He leaned toward me, unleashing the full effect of his eyes. "I didn't bring you here to be respectful." He kissed me, his hand curling around the back of my head, his tongue skimming along my lips. I parted them for him, moaning as his tongue stole into my mouth, entwining with my own. My arms wrapped around his neck and I rose up on my knees, pressing myself against his bare chest, my embarrassment momentarily forgotten. He kissed me hungrily, his free hand finding my hip and tugging me closer to him.

At last he drew back, both of us gasping for air. He studied me, his pupils dilated. He turned me, laying me back on the bed. I obeyed, the look in his eyes leaving me breathless. There was no doubt in my mind; I would not be leaving this room a virgin. The idea excited me and made me a little nervous.

He hovered over me, pushing his hair behind his ear so he could see me better. His hand came up and touched my face before slowly trailing down my throat and over my chest, pausing at my nipple. He looked down at it, and brushed his thumb across it. I gasped, surprised at how sensitive it was.

"You were in love with another man," he murmured, not looking at me. "That's what you said."

I blinked at him, surprised by the sudden turn of the conversation.

"Tell me," he said, grazing his thumb across the nipple again. "How old was this man?" He caught the sensitive skin between his fingers and rubbed his thumb in a circle. I gasped.

"He, he was a year younger than me," I stammered, biting my lip as he continued toying with me.

Zeus made a sound in the back of his throat. "A boy, then. And you said he didn't love you back. Did he ever touch you?"

I felt a stab of pain when he talked about Isandros, but it vanished when Zeus leaned down and put his mouth where his hand had been. I cried out, feeling his tongue flick over the nipple. I'd never even imagined anything like this.

"No," I gasped. "We never did anything like that." I moaned, arching my back, trying to give him more of me. He released me, rubbing his hand over my chest to wipe away the wetness.

"So you've never been touched?" he asked, his nose drifting across the center of my chest before he latched onto my other nipple.

"N-no." I breathed, closing my eyes. "You're the only one who's ever, ah, done anything like this."

He groaned against my skin, grazing the sensitive nub with his teeth. He let me go, climbing up my body until we were eye to eye. His eyes were possessive as they looked down at me. My heart began to hammer. He leaned down suddenly, his mouth next to my ear. "I'm glad for that," he whispered, his voice soft and seductive. "I want to be the first one to fuck you, my little Trojan prince."

I shuddered, and my breathing sped. "Will it hurt?" I asked, only half caring if it did. I'd been fantasizing about sex since I'd discovered what it was. The fact that I was about to experience it was so surreal that I almost couldn't be afraid.

Zeus turned back to me and smiled a little. "Not too much, I don't think. Not when you're with me."

I wasn't sure I believed him, but before I could reply he kissed me again, his lips barely brushing against mine. "I'll be careful with you," he promised. I kissed him back, the kiss gradually increasing until our breathing became ragged, our mouths trying to possess each other. At last he broke away, burying his face in my neck, teasing the sensitive skin there. I sighed and tilted my head to allow him more access. He began sucking harder for a few seconds before pulling abruptly back, making a little _pop_ sound as the suction broke. He smirked and touched my neck with his finger, like he had found something. Seeing me looking at him, he winked and leaned closer, pressing his lips to my ear again. " _Mine,_ " he whispered, sending another chill up my spine.

His body pushed mine into the mattress as he continued his journey down my body, touching me and kissing me. Sometimes he'd pause at a certain area and seem to examine it, just like he had the day before with my hand. Those moments frustrated me. I was more aroused than I'd ever been, my cock hurting from the need to release the pressure building inside me.

"What are you waiting for?" I challenged him the third time this happened. He was lying on my legs, pinning them down with his stomach, his own legs lazily kicking back and forth in the air behind him, like a daydreaming child. He'd laid his head on my lower stomach and was watching his thumb as it stroked back and forth over my hip bone. His breathing ruffled the edge of my perizoma, making me desperate. He glanced up at me in surprise.

"What?"

I huffed, my arousal making me impolite. "You said you were going to fuck me! Did you change your mind?"

A slow, evil grin spread across his features, his eyes turning to blue coals in his head. "Does this bother you?" he asked, slowly drumming his fingers on my hip.

I groaned. "Please," I said, tossing my arms across my face. "Please, I want you."

He was there before the last word was out of my mouth, his hand pushing my arms out of the way, his eyes scorching me. I shrank away from his expression. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you," he remarked, his voice deadly. "I wouldn't beg me for it. That might drive me over the edge, and then you'll be dreaming for this," he brushed the back of his hand down my ribcage, moving excruciatingly slow. His eyes never left mine. They left me addled. He smiled at me, showing just the edge of his teeth, reminding me of a knife blade. "I know what I said earlier, about fucking you. I was lying. You don't want to be fucked today, my little prince." He kissed me softly. "Someday you will. Someday you'll beg me for it, and I'll take you so hard that you won't be able to walk afterwards. But not today." He kissed me again. "No more begging," he whispered against my lips. "Today we go slow."

"Yes, sir," I said, my heart slamming into my ribs.

He smiled, his good humor rushing back. "You can call me by my name."

"Yes, sir."

He laughed and went back to his anatomical study, stroking the soft skin on the inside of my hip like nothing had happened. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy it, biting my lip to keep in my impatience.

At last I felt his hand move down and dip into my perizoma. "Oh, " I breathed, adrenaline coursing through my veins. My cock was making an obvious tent in the white fabric and I blushed, a little embarrassed. I'd never felt comfortable being naked around other people, and I'd never been naked around a lover. I wiggled my toes and twisted a strand of hair around my finger, suddenly self-conscious.

Zeus tugged the fabric back, exposing me. He helped me out of the undergarment before tossing in the corner with the rest of my clothes. His eyes wandered down my body, completely bare beneath him before he caught my eye. He smiled at me. "You are the loveliest thing I've ever seen."

I smiled back at him, relieved. He laid beside me, kissing me again, his hand wrapping around my manhood. I gasped, my eyes rolling back in my head. He stroked me, his hand gripping me tightly and his thumb running over the tip with every pass. I moaned, bucking into his hand, all traces of embarrassment forgotten. This seemed to excite him, and his pace quickened.

"Ganymede," he rasped, kissing my neck again. My hand skimmed down his torso and touched him through his own undergarment, making his groan. Emboldened, I stuck my hand inside and wrapped it around his cock, stroking the smooth skin. He swore and pushed down his perizoma, giving me better access. I turned my head and kissed him, the hand not stroking him winding in his hair. We were both on our sides, sharing hot, passionate kisses as we jerked each other off. The tips of our penises would occasionally brush against each other, and every time that happened I went hot all over. I tried positioning myself so that it would happen as often as possible. All too soon I felt my climax approaching, the experience of being touched like that too much for me.

"Oh, you're, you're going to make me cum," I moaned, my head falling back as I felt it rising. Zeus immediately dropped his hand and all my hopes and dreams seemed to fall with it. I stared at him wildly, feeling utterly betrayed.

He chuckled at my outraged expression and took my face in his hands, leaning our foreheads together. "Not yet," he said, kissing the tip of my nose before pulling back. "We've got so much more to do."

I pouted, and I had to stop myself from pleading with him again. My hand was still around his cock, though I'd stopped pumping when I'd been about to climax. A sudden, bold thought entered my mind and I acted on it before my courage failed me. I wriggled lower on the bed and slid his cock into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it experimentally. Zeus made a sound in the back of his throat that nearly undid me. I felt his hands in my hair, gently coaxing me to take more of him into my mouth. I did, bobbing my head up and down his heavy cock. I really didn't know what I was doing, but Zeus seemed to be enjoying himself. He whispered my name, his chest heaving and eyes slipping closed. Seeing him so aroused made me feel powerful. It was so obvious that he wanted me. Finally, he pushed me away from him, a spiderweb of pre-cum and spit trailing from my lips, connecting us. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, glancing up at him in surprise.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head, his eyes wide and unfocused. "I think we've had enough foreplay. I want to be inside you now."

I nodded, excitement and nerves warring with each other. I rose up on my hands and knees beside him, waiting expectantly.

Zeus propped himself up on his elbow and looked over at me. He reached over and touched my backside, trailing his fingers downward.

I glanced over at him, wondering why he hesitated. "Zeus?"

"Lay on your back. I want to see your pretty face."

I did as I was told, curious. Zeus grabbed several pillows and stacked them under my back and hips, raising up my bottom half. "Comfortable?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Good." He slid off the bed and grabbed something off the table. It was a glass vial full of amber liquid. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it.

"Oil?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"With a special ingredient," he replied, climbing back into the bed. "Hopefully it'll make it hurt less."

I chewed my lip, my stomach twisting in knots.

He noticed my expression and leaned forward between my legs to kiss me. 'I'll be careful with you." he reassured me. "I promise."

I nodded my head, too nervous to say anything.

Zeus unstoppered the vial and poured a little of the oil into his hand. "Just try to relax, Ganymede."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down. I wanted this. I felt his hands settle between my thighs, parting me. Something warm brushed over my entrance, sending a jolt of pleasure through me. His finger swirled around my anus, warm and slick with the oil. I opened my eyes a little. Zeus was kneeling between my legs, his hand hidden from view. He seemed completely absorbed in his task, his eyes watching his fingers.

I melted under those fingers, my muscles turning to jelly. "That feels nice," I said.

"Good. I'm going to do a little more now." The finger poked at my entrance, fighting against the barrier there. It slid up inside me, filling me up. I moaned.

"Does that hurt?"

I shook my head. It was a strange sensation, but not a bad one. I felt a little more pressure and then another finger moved to join the first, stretching me out. This felt a little more invasive, but nothing like the pain I'd been expecting. The fingers slid in and out of me, very slowly at first and then a little faster, feeling me relax around them. Zeus trickled a little more oil over them as he went, getting me all slick inside. After a minute or so, I felt him add a third finger. The pressure built, but not the pain. After the initial shock, I was starting to enjoy being so full.

"How are you doing?" he asked me. He was watching me now, scrutinizing my expression.

I smiled, trying to reassure him. "I want you," I answered. It was so true. Zeus' fingers felt good, but they only teased me. I wanted more.

Zeus was quick to comply. He took his fingers out and slickened his manhood with the oil before moving to settle over me. He guided his cock into my entrance, going painfully slow. He was bigger around than his fingers had been, and he went gently, allowing me a chance to adjust. I felt him glide into me, and it was almost more than I could stand. I whimpered his name, clenching the sheets. This was like a dream. The sexiest dream I'd ever had.

"Ganymede?"

"You feel so _good,_ " I moaned. I heard him chuckle.

"So do you," he breathed, sounding short of breath. "You are the most fuckable thing alive." He pushed into me deeper, and kept going until he was completely sheathed in my body.

I laid there, gasping, my body spasming around the invasion of his. It hadn't hurt at all, but the pressure was driving me to distraction. Zeus began rolling his hips, slowly thrusting inside of me. I watched him, admiring the fine lines of his body as he moved in and out of me, my mind delirious with lust. His locked his eyes with mine and started thrusting a little faster, making me moan.

"You like that?"

I could only nod, lost in sensation. He had to pause every once in a while to trickle more of the oil along his cock, and those moments were the most desperate of my life, followed by the sweetest when he'd sheath himself in me once again.

We continued like that for several minutes, his movements gradually increasing in speed and me lying prone beneath him, feeling all the happiness in the world.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," he said once in approval.

I smiled up at him. "This is the best day of my life."

He grinned, "It's about to get better."

Before I could ask him what he meant, he adjusted the angle of his strokes, leaning a little back on his knees so that his downstroke would brush against something inside me that softened my bones. I cried out, my back arching off the bed and my cock going rigid. Zeus found that place again and again, each time sending a bolt of pleasure through me that was almost beyond all comprehension. My moans grew louder, becoming almost frantic as he rubbed up against that hidden spot with every stroke.

"You sound like a whore," he growled. The words were an insult but the tone was not.

"Do you like it?" I asked, gazing up at him under my eyelashes. I angled myself upwards, allowing him deeper access. He groaned.

"Very much," he said. His skin was shiny with sweat, his eyes bright. He reached up and caught my cock in his hand, rubbing the tip.

"Ah," I said, tilting my head back, my mind going blank, just letting my body feel. I felt his thick cock prodding against my center, releasing wave after wave of indescribable pleasure. I'd never felt anything like it, not even with his hand around me. The tempo of his thrusts increased again, almost getting rough. It still didn't hurt, but I felt the force of it. The knowledge that he was enjoying taking his pleasure of me added fuel to my own ecstacy.

The wave of pleasure building inside me grew higher, threatening to crash over me at any moment. I yearned for it, my breathing ragged and my voice growing hoarse from all racket I was making. He was right, I did sound like a whore. And I didn't care one bit.

"Ah, fuck, you feel so good," Zeus growled, grabbing my hips to steady himself as his thrusts became erratic.

Oddly enough, it was his cursing that sent me over the edge, the husky sound of his voice adding that last tiny bit of stimulation I needed to come flying apart. "Ah! Oh, yes! Oh, Zeuuuuus! Ooooh," I jerked under him, my hips straining upwards as creamy, white ejaculate splattered across my stomach and chest, wave after crashing wave of pleasure washing over my entire body. This wasn't an orgasm. This was dying and going to heaven.

Seeing me finish sped Zeus' own climax and within a minute he was pulling out of me and spilling himself across my stomach, his seed mixing with my own. He groaned, his hand squeezing out the last of it before he collapsed next to me, panting. We both lay there, arms stretched out and breathing fast, too spent to move. My ears were ringing and the sea of ejaculate all over me was turning cold.

"Well," I said at last. "That was amazing."

"Yes, it was." Zeus was lying on his stomach, his arms raised above his head. He opened his eye to look at me over the top of his arm. "You look good covered in cum."

I blushed furiously. "I need a rag or something."

He glanced around, picked up his perizoma, and handed it to me.

I eyed the garment warily, the notion of cleaning off with someone else's used underclothes not very comforting. Zeus smirked when he noticed my reaction. "You know, if you're this concerned about my person cleanliness, you really shouldn't have let me stick my dick up your ass."

It was hard to argue with that logic. I took the garment and started wiping off globs of semen.

Zeus watched me as I did this. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Fantastic," I answered.

"Did it hurt much?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all. It was strange, I'd expected it to hurt a lot."

"It usually does. I put some nectar in the oil, to see if it would help you any. I didn't know if it would work or not, but it helps with other kinds of pain so I figured it'd be worth a shot. You might feel sore later on, once the effects wear off."

I glanced up at him and smiled. "That was very kind of you."

He shrugged off my gratitude. "I want you to be happy here."

"Well you're doing a pretty good job so far," I said, propping myself up on my elbow to look at him. I raised a hand to brush back some of his hair that had fallen forward. "I've never felt so good in my life."

He caught my hand and kissed my palm. "You said you'd never been with anyone, but I almost wonder, have you ever actually peaked before?"

"Yes," I said, curious as to where the question arose from. "I mean, I've touched myself plenty of times."

He grinned. "I'm going to have to see that someday," he murmured. "But the reason I asked is because of your reaction when I made you come just now. You looked starstruck, like it was the first time you'd ever had an orgasm."

"Well," I muttered. "I've never experienced one like _that_ before. I've never come close to anything that good."

"Interesting." He turned over, winding his arms behind his head. I wiggled closer to him, wanting to be pressed up against him, but not sure if he'd appreciate me invading his space. Luckily, he noticed what I was doing and pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my back. I sighed and snuggled into the crook of his arm, my head on his chest. His chest was dusted with fair hair, tapering into a line that trailed down his stomach and eventually fanned out again, making a nest of light colored curls between his legs. Like his chest, Zeus' arms and legs were also hairier than my own, making him look very manly. I liked it.

His heart was beating under my ear. Hearing it surprised me, though it shouldn't have. It made sense that Zeus would have a heartbeat—he was alive wasn't he?—but it seemed almost odd that a god could have something so basic and human. My eyes grew heavy and I was beginning to nod off when he spoke again.

"We're going to have to be careful, my little prince."

I stirred against him, trying to shake off my stupor. "What?"

Zeus glanced over at me, his pale eyes conflicted. "I'm going to make you my cupbearer. That will be your official role here. It'll be our excuse."

I raised an eyebrow, not following him. "What do you mean, our excuse?"

Zeus sighed. "You mentioned it yourself yesterday evening. I'm married. And Hera isn't the most understanding person."

I bit my lip, feeling stupid. I had known he was married, but in the whirlwind of emotion that this man stirred up in me, I'd barely even thought about it. "What will she do?" I whispered.

He clenched me closer to him, leaning his forehead against mine. "Oh, sweetling, you don't need to be frightened. I'm not going to let her hurt you. We just need to be careful."

"But how? Do you really think she won't suspect us of _this_?" I gestured at the two of us. "She probably already knows I'm in here."

Zeus chuckled, his tone humorless. "Oh, trust me, if she knew you were in here, we'd both be in a world of pain." He pulled my face back to his when I tried to turn away. "Ganymede, I'm not going to let her hurt you. I promise."

I bit my lip harder, wanting to believe him, but not sure I could. I'd heard stories about what Hera did to her husband's lovers. I'd been beyond stupid to come here. Then I looked into those pale blue eyes and felt the rest of the world fall away, just like always. I could never have said no to those eyes, nor the god they belonged to. With a sinking feeling, I realized I'd been lost the moment I'd seen him standing in the forest after he'd struck down the serpent.

The memory of the serpent brought something to my mind and I groaned.

"Ganymede?"

"The giant snake you killed. Your wife sent it after us, didn't she?"

Now it was Zeus' turn to look away.

I sighed, resigning myself. "I'll be your cupbearer, then, if that's what you think is best."

"She's got no reason to hurt my cupbearer, now does she? And for all she knows, that's all I ever wanted you for." His tone was a little desperate, his story thin as a spider's web. But it was still more than I could come up with.

"And there's one more thing, something to protect you." Zeus disentangled himself from me and slid out of the bed. I watched as he walked across the room and picked up a little dish off a table.

There was something on the dish that resembled a small cake, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand and the color of honey. "What is it?" I asked.

"Ambrosia. If you eat it, you'll be immortal. Never aging, never dying."

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "You aren't serious?"

He nodded. "I told you, I want you to be with me." He pushed the tray toward me. "Eat it."

I looked down at the tiny cake, my mind numb. I felt like I should take some time to decide. But why? When somebody offered you immortality, who would be stupid enough to refuse? Yet I hesitated. This was the most monumental moment of my entire life, and I'd had no time to prepare.

I glanced up at Zeus, looking at his lovely face. He was watching me expectantly, his hair disheveled from our romp, his eyes stunningly blue and endless. I imagined leaving him and returning to my father's house, and cringed away from the thought. How could I ever go back to the way things had been? It was impossible. Therefore, I would be staying here. And if I was staying here with Zeus, shouldn't I actually be able to stay? If I remained mortal, death would eventually take me away from here, if I wasn't cast out for being an old man beforehand.

No, the answer was simple and I was just delaying the inevitable. I picked up the little golden cake and popped the entire thing into my mouth slowly chewing in. It was incredible. The taste was unlike anything else in the world. It was sweet, it was rich and it seemed to carry with it every beautiful feeling in the world. The cake made me happy with a kind of joy that made every particle of my body glow from within. I laughed, the joy bubbling up out of me like a fountain. Zeus smiled and bent forward to kiss me, his hands winding in my hair. I kissed him back, all of my energy returning ten fold. I wanted to yell from the rooftops and dance through the streets and make love to him again and again. The world was bright and beautiful and I was beautiful too.

I wrestled the king of the gods back down into the sheets, kissing his throat and grinding against him, ready for another round. He laughed and let me caress him, his eyes never leaving me. "Congratulations," he said after a while, gasping when my mouth slipped around his awakening arousal. "Welcome to immortality, my prince."


	5. Chapter 5

Five

We fell into the bed, Zeus never allowing me more than an arm's reach away from him. I started out underneath him, one hand in his hair, the other gripping the small of his back, my own need rising to meet his. He wiggled out of my grasp and moved lower, unfastening my jeans. As soon as enough fabric was out of his way, my cock was in his mouth, his hand pumping the stem while his mouth sucked at the top, his tongue twirling around the slit. I whimpered, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. He kept at it for another couple minutes, pausing only when I was good and hard. I pushed myself into a sitting position, kicking off my jeans and boxers. He helped me out of my shirt. I fell back into pillows and spread my legs for him, knowing that he doesn't care for much foreplay when he's in this kind of mood. He paused, looking at me from the end of the bed with a strange expression. I tilted my head to the side, evaluating him. Seeing my look, he glanced away, his mouth twisting.

I pushed myself upright again and crawled toward him on my hands and knees, turning his face back to me.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He smiled a little, but it didn't touch his eyes. That same vulnerable look was in them again, like he was pleading with me but couldn't find the right words to say. At last he just shook his head and said that he was fine.

I wasn't convinced. Cupping his face in my hand, I leaned forward and kissed him softly, carefully. I felt him kiss me back, his arms encircling my waist, his hands skimming over my back. I kept the pace slow, deliciously slow, our breathing turning ragged. My fingers stroked his hair, touched his face, brushed over his bare shoulders. He was just wearing a pair of loose pajama bottoms that I couldn't wait to get them off him. I breathed his name against his lips, trying to persuade him into opening up.

"I—" he said, when I moved lower to kiss his throat. "Could we—I mean, could you . . ." He huffed in frustration. "Forget it."

I looked back at him, taking in his torn expression before kissing him again. "Could I what?" I asked, catching his bottom lip between my teeth.

He sighed. "Ganymede, I . . . _I_ want _you_ today _,_ " he brushed some invisible dirt off my collarbone, not looking me directly in the eye. "You know, like we did that time in Paris?"

I raised an eyebrow but quickly rearranged my expression, not wanting to make him more embarrassed than he already was. "Of course," I said, bringing his face up so that he was looking at me again. "You know that we can do that whenever you want."

"I know," he said and I was sure that I saw him blush. I smiled and kissed him, my tongue stealing into his mouth and touching his own, making him sigh and lean further into the kiss. I turned him so that we could both lay out on the bed.

"How do you want to do it?" I asked.

He smirked, his eyes starting to regain some of their fire. "You're the one in charge, remember?"

I laughed. "That's not really how it works, but alright. Turn on your side, facing the window."

He obeyed, watching me out of the corner of his eye. I curled up behind him, reaching around his waist and touching him, running my hands down his chest and over his flat belly and finally catching the edge of his waistband with my finger. I pushed it down and helped pull off his pants. Zeus kicked them onto the floor. Going back behind him, I reached out and slowly ran my hand down over his cock, feeling it jump against my hand. I went further down, cupping his balls and running my thumb over them, before going even further, pausing at his perineum and rubbing my fingers in a slow circle. He groaned when I picked up the pace. Using my other hand, I began massaging his cock, loving the sounds he made as my fingers worked him. Soon his breathing became labored and I pulled my hands away, not wanting him to get too worked up. He made a disgruntled noise when I stopped, but I just tsked him.

"I'm in charge, remember?" I teased, reaching behind me.

"Whatever."

I laughed. I found what I was looking for, the bottle of lube hidden between the mattress and the wall. I shook the bottle and poured a little into my hand. "Do you want to use some nectar?" I asked.

He shook his head, not looking at me. I winced. We didn't do this very often and every time—even the first—Zeus had refused to use the nectar, choosing to feel the discomfort of anal sex. I'd often wondered why. Zeus said he didn't mind the pain, that it felt good. I didn't understand it. Pain and I weren't friends and we definitely weren't lovers. I'd used nectar every time he'd gone into me, but that was me. Zeus could like whatever he wanted.

I'd been Zeus' lover for three hundred years before I'd first gone into him. In those days it was still considered indecent for an influential man to be penetrated. Men like Zeus were supposed to be powerful, the dominators, the conquerors. I'd never thought much of the rule, but it had taken centuries for Zeus to give it up. It was still in the back of his mind to this day, which is one of the reasons why we had only done this a few times since we'd been together, and most of those had been in the last couple of centuries. There had been an especially spectacular evening in Paris about fifty years ago that he always referred to whenever he wanted to try it again.

I spread the lube over my fingers and dipped them down against his entrance. He let out a sound that sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine. I slipped a finger into him, feeling the soft walls clenching around me. I wiggled my finger and he moaned.

"Does that feel okay?" I asked, kissing his side.

"Yeah," he gasped. "Yeah it does."

"Good," I slid another finger in and then another, slowly pumping them in and out of him. "You feel really tight," I said, grinning up at him.

He laughed a little, making his muscles quiver around my fingers. "You sound like a teenager the first time he sticks his finger up his virgin girlfriend."

"Well, I wouldn't know much about that."

"You would if you read more smut."

I rolled my eyes and leaned close to him. From this position my head came about halfway down Zeus' spine, my hand reaching lower, getting him ready for me. I left little airy kisses all up and down his side, from his rib cage to his hip bone. He was ticklish around his belly which usually amused me to no end but I didn't want him to twist around too much in our current position so I avoided those spots.

My fingers kept pumping in and out of him, spreading the lube around and getting him nice and relaxed. I saw him wrap his hand around himself, slowly moving it in time with my fingers. I watched him through half closed eyes, feeling my own erection jerk to life. I tried to be patient with my preparations but watching him touch himself was not helping my resolve.

"Gan," he breathed, looking over at me, his eyes grown cloudy with desire.

I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed the lube and spread some over my cock before positioning myself behind him. I had to use my hand to guide myself into him. Zeus never had to do that anymore, but I didn't have nearly as much experience with this. I pressed myself against him, marveling at just how small the entrance was. The first time we did this, it had taken me forever to even get inside him. Small wonder we hadn't done it again for another couple centuries. Now I wiggled the tip a little, just barely putting it inside. Zeus gasped quietly. I pushed forward with my hips, easing my way into him at a snail's pace. Once, he made a tiny pained sound and I saw him grab a fistful of the sheets. I immediately pulled back. "Babe, we can use some of the nectar."

He shook his head, letting out his breath through his nose. "I'm fine. Just give me a second, please."

I did, wrapping my arm around his waist and kissing along the back of his shoulders. I felt terrible for causing him pain and even worse for my own impatience. I was so aroused. It was all I could do not to shove the rest of my cock up into him and feel his walls squeezing around me. Zeus finally gave the go-ahead and I slid a little farther into him, my eyes rolling back from the sensation.

At last I was completely inside. Zeus moaned and leaned his head back, feeling me fill him up. My initial thrusts started out excruciatingly slow and gradually became a little faster, my breathing uneven. He was tight around me, tighter than anything I'd ever felt, all heat and friction and slick lube.

"You feel so good," I told him, doing my best to keep my control.

Zeus was breathing heavily, his eyes closed and lips parted.

I tried to adjust the angle of my thrusts, attempting to hit his prostate, the bundle of nerves that had the power to make a man come unglued. After a few more thrusts I got it. I felt a shudder ripple through him and he let out a little whine.

"Oh my God," he said, moaning when I hit the spot again.

His response made me go a little wild and I thrust into him again and again, loving the sound of his voice. My arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, my forehead against the back of his shoulder.

"Oh, God that feels so good," he gasped.

"Hell yeah it does." I said through gritted teeth, "I want you to cum for me." I slid my hand up and started playing with his nipple, my erection brushing up against his g-spot again. My own orgasm was slowly building and I wanted to make sure that he found his release before I did.

Zeus shivered, his erection curled up over his stomach. I leaned up on my elbow so I could see his face better. He looked up at me, his beautiful eyes delirious. He brought my face down so we could kiss, both of us moaning with every thrust.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips, squeezing his eyes shut when I thrust into him again. "Oh, don't stop," he said. "Whatever you do, don't stop."

"I love you, too" I said, shoving myself into him, "Oh, Baby I love you so much." I bent and started attacking his neck, sucking on the skin under his jaw. He gasped and leaned up into it. It wasn't much longer before his moans became louder, and he began moving into my thrusts.

"Gan, Baby, I'm gonna, I'm gonna . . ." He cried out, his body shuddering as he came. I felt his walls grip me even harder, making me groan. My pace quickened, his ecstasy fueling my own desire. Zeus gasped for air, his skin dewy with sweat. He went limp in my arms.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered against his skin. I breathed in the scent of him, a heady mix of sweat and sex and rain.

"I want you to finish inside me," he said.

"Oh," I breathed. My hips bucked against him, my climax surging up within me. "Oh, here it comes," I said, gripping him as pleasure exploded through me.

We both moaned as I came, my semen spilling inside him. I spasmed for several seconds before collapsing against him, both of us breathing heavily. I eased my way out.

He rolled over to look at me. "That was nice," he murmured.

"Yeah it was," I agreed, grinning at him. "Don't get too comfortable though. If you're thinking about becoming the bottom of this relationship you're going to have to fight me for it."

He smirked. "I don't think you have to worry about that." He reached over and caught a strand of my hair and twirled it around his fingers. "Sometimes it's just nice to let someone else be in control," he said.

I pushed myself up on my elbows. "Do you wanna talk about it now?"

He sighed, dropping his hand. "Not much to talk about really."

"Hera?"

He made a face. "It was just the usual stuff, how I'm a terrible husband and a terrible father and a terrible person. It just gets old after awhile."

I sat up and picked up his hand, kissing it. "I don't think you're a terrible person."

"Then you're an idiot."

I glanced at him, surprised.

He grimaced and apologized. "But you can't honestly say that I'm a good person. Or father or husband."

"I can say whatever I want," I declared. "But I do know that you're a much better father than you used to be. And you were always kind to me. A truly awful person wouldn't be nice to anybody."

He laughed a little. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked.

"You let a snake burn up your clothes," I said with a smirk. "I think you did it on purpose too. There was no way I was going to let you get away from me once I saw this body." I ran my hand down his stomach, making him twist away. I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't," he warned, narrowing his eyes.

I grinned and attacked him, tickling his sides until he howled, thrashing in the bed.

"Dammit, Ganymede! Get off!"

I let him go, still laughing, pushing the hair back out of my eyes. "You know, I was thinking about that earlier, about how I met you, I mean."

"Yeah? And how sexy I was?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you do say so yourself." I laid back down, my arms stretched out. He curled up next to me, his head on my shoulder. I smiled, pleased by his reaction. I kissed his hair and tugged him closer to me. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of how different we both are around each other now."

He snorted. "You had the self-esteem of a kicked puppy."

"I was pretty pitiful, wasn't I?"

Zeus propped himself up to look at me. "No. You were perfect. It just took you forever to realize it." He brushed his thumb over my cheek. "I like the new you. The one who knows you're amazing."

I smiled. "I am pretty awesome."

He laughed. I loved his laugh. It was deep and loud and contagious. "You are. And you're dead sexy."

I was about to answer when a voice called from the doorway: "So this is where you've been hiding."

* * *

I fidgeted with the edge of my himation, slowly shifting my weight from foot to foot.

The women stared at each other across the small table. The frosty morning air was thick with tension, making my hair stand on end and a shiver run down my spine. Finally, the woman on the right reached out and slid the round game-piece across the table, knocking her opponent's square token out the of the circle. The woman on the left groaned.

"Why can't you ever let me win?" Hera grumbled, leaning back in her chair. She tapped the rim of her cup and I hurried to refill it.

Athena laughed. "You'd be even angrier if I did."

"True. But can't you at least have an off game? Must you always be so perfect?"

"Maybe we can play something else next time, Your Highness."

"No," replied Hera. "I will continue this until I master it."

"As you wish." Athena glanced up at me. "And how are you today, Ganymede?"

I squirmed. I hated being noticed by the deities, much preferring to stand in the corner until someone wanted more wine.

"I am well, my lady," I murmured.

"Speak up, Ganymede," Hera snapped. "Nobody can hear you."

"Are you adjusting to life here, then?" Athena asked, ignoring the other's outburst. "I'm sure it's a lot to get used to."

I smiled a little. I liked Athena. She was a witty, generous sort of person. "It is, my lady, but I am happy to be here."

"He is doing quite well," Hera said, her voice echoing inside her cup as she lifted it to her lips. I couldn't help but look at her profile as she did so. Hera's face made me feel totally inadequate. Everyone was beautiful on Mount Olympus, from Zeus to the lowliest dryad. And Hera was lovelier than anybody. She was small and soft, with a delicate face and a perfect little nose and skin fair as fresh cream. Her dark hair was curled and braided into an elaborate up-do that made her seem taller than she was. Her eyes were large and dark and her voice was surprisingly low-pitched for such a tiny person, booming out of her with the force of a tidal wave.

"Well we are glad to have you," Athena said, standing to leave. "Have a good day, Your Highness."

Hera waved her away, not bothering to look at her. "We'll resume this tomorrow."

"As you say." She left, leaving me alone with the Queen of Heaven. Hera slowly swirled the wine in her cup. Silence fell so thick that when one of her peacocks crowed I nearly leapt out of my skin.

"So," she said at last, staring into her cup. "You're his new toy."

Nausea rolled over me. I wasn't sure how to answer, and paused so long that she seemed to think that I wasn't going to.

"No denying it?" she wondered. "No desperate denouncement of your trysts?"

"I am my king's humble servant, Your Grace," I said. My voice was barely more than a whisper. "I am honored that he chose to bring me here."

Hera scoffed. She finally looked up at me, her dark eyes sharpened by malice and pain. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? That I believe he just brought you here—you, with your obscenely pretty looks and pathetic spinelessness—to stand around pouring wine? Any half-wit can pour wine. He brought you here to squeal into a pillow."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Every defense that I'd practiced for this moment had fled and all I could think of was what horrible thing she was going to do to me now.

She saw that I wasn't going to reply and her lip curled. "Still have nothing to say? How odd. Maybe you _are_ a half-wit."

I turned my eyes to the floor and said nothing.

"Tell me, Ganymede," she said my name like it was a filthy thing. "Do you intend to steal him away from me? To seduce him into some plot that removes me from his side? Then you could have him all to yourself."

I glanced up at her. I found my words again, but Hera barreled ahead, making it impossible for me to say them.

"But let me tell you," she snapped. "I am not going anywhere. I am his _wife_ and the only way he'll be rid of me is if he kills me the way he did Metis." She smiled then, her tiny rosebud mouth splitting back over her teeth. "And I am no Metis. I am a goddess, daughter of Kronos the Crooked One, and I will see you strung from the stars by your slithering guts before I let you separate me from what is mine."

I gazed at her in perfected understanding. "You're right" I told her. "I don't belong here."

Her eyes shifted.

"Your husband asked me if I wanted to leave Troy and come here to be with him. I agreed to it, mostly just to get away from home. I do like your husband, he's an interesting, passionate person. But I am fully aware that he will never really be mine—I'm not sure he can be anybody's. He's not somebody you can pin down with rules and rites. He's wild. But isn't that untamed, vibrant spirit the part of him that attracts you the most? It's true that the two of you are opposites; you're grounded and practical and unswervingly devoted, while Zeus is reckless and restless and driven by passion. But when you two are near each other it's like watching two halves of the same soul. Zeus isn't used to people contradicting him but for whatever reason I think he enjoys a good quarrel with you. It's a challenge for him. You sharpen his mind and burgeon his creativity. How could I or anybody else ever compete with that?

"So what I'm saying, Your Grace, is that I'm sticking around here as long as I can. I won't lie to you and say that I'm not attracted to Zeus. I am. He's too charismatic for his own good. But I also know that even if I tried to get him away from you it'd never work. So I'll take what I can get, appreciate his attentions as long as I have them, and count myself lucky that he ever noticed me at all. And, eventually, when he stops caring about me, I'll go away somewhere and think about how lucky you are that you'll always get to have a place in his heart."

Hera stared at me for several long seconds. "You're a fool," she said at last.

I smiled a little. "I suppose I am, Your Grace."

"So you're willing to be in a relationship where one of the participants is disloyal?" she demanded. "What about when he takes a new lover, hmm? How will that make you feel?"

I shrugged. In truth the idea of Zeus loving someone else made me die a little inside, but that feeling didn't change my outlook. "Zeus is a god. Who am I to contradict what a god does?"

Hera scoffed. She rose to her feet, the folds of her spangled peplos falling around her like a purple waterfall. She squinted up at me like I was a wormy, half-rotten apple hanging from a pretty tree. "If he hadn't made you immortal, I'd slit your throat and hold you over the side of my balcony. Then Zeus would know that he's not the only one who can make the rain fall."

I just bowed my head.

She brushed past me. "Oh, and Ganymede?" she said.

I turned toward her.

She stood with her hand on the door. "You can be quite eloquent, even if you do have foolish notions. You should try expressing yourself more often."

I smiled. "All I need is a pen and ink and I will express myself as often as you wish, Your Highness."

* * *

I spun around to see Hera standing there, just inside the door, her face blank, watching us. Zeus pushed himself upright, smoothing his hair down. I pulled the sheet up around me, knowing that she'd already seen everything I was trying to hide.

"I see you're really mulling over your sins," she said.

"What do you want?" he asked. "I'm kind of busy right now."

"I was coming to see if you wanted to go out for breakfast with us, but I realize now that you have other activities planned for the day." She turned to go, her back rigid.

"Wait," I called. "He'd love to go."

"What?" asked Zeus.

"Really?" Hera asked sarcastically, turning back to sneer at us.

"Yup, he'll be right out." I leaned over Zeus and picked up my boxers, shimmying into them under the sheets. Once I wasn't naked I climbed out of bed, strode over to the dresser, then pulled out the bottom drawer where I kept several pairs of Zeus' clothes.

"Where were you planning on going?" I asked, sorting through the clothes. I hoped they hadn't been aiming fancy because I didn't have many formal things here.

"Chloe wants to go to Taylor's," Hera said. Chloe was their youngest daughter, only six years old and cute as a button. Taylor's was her favorite restaurant, a classic country diner where she always ordered chocolate chip pancakes.

I could feel the tension behind me as husband and wife stared each other down. I pretended not to notice, pulling out a blue flannel shirt and a pair of designer jeans out of the drawer. "Here," I said, tossing them to Zeus. He caught them automatically.

"I don't really feel like breakfast," he muttered.

"Yes, you do," I told him. I turned back to Hera.

"He'll be right down," I said, smiling pleasantly. She curled her lip and left, slamming the door behind her.

Zeus glared at me. "What are you doing? I don't want to go."

I just looked at him.

"What?" he demanded.

"She came here to find you," I said. "She invited you to breakfast with her and the kids. She's apologizing."

"You call that an apology?"

"I call that walking into a room and seeing your husband rolling around in the sheets with his male concubine. She's be stupid not to be mad." I sighed. "Go after her. Take your family out and show them a good time. She called you a bad father. Prove her wrong."

He shook his head but started getting dressed. "She called me a bad husband too. Do you want me to stop coming to see you so I can prove her wrong?"

I eyed him. "You couldn't stay away."

He grinned. He dressed quickly, coming to stand beside me afterwards. He took my hand, running his thumb over my knuckles. "I'd kind of wanted to stay in bed with you all day," he murmured.

"That would have been a waste of time," I told him.

He smiled, reaching up to cup the back of my head. "Always so practical."

"One of us has to be."

He kissed me. "I love you," he whispered afterwards.

"You love her too," I replied cutting him off before he could protest. "You _do._ You always have. That's why you care so much about what she thinks of you."

He glanced away. "It's alot easier to love you," he muttered.

"You've always liked a challenge." I smiled at him. "Have a good day, sweetheart. Don't stay away too long."

He kissed me once more before striding out the door, going to meet the other half of his life. I stood there a moment, noticing how empty the room felt without him in it. I shook my head and went to pick up my clothes. Zeus would be back soon enough.

I hopped back up onto the bar stool, pondering what my next scene would be.


End file.
